


Knight of the Order

by ElhiniPrime



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Eclipse and Coven Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 18:42:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17431439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElhiniPrime/pseuds/ElhiniPrime
Summary: In a land where magic runs rampant and the Old Gods are not kindly, one must walk the edge of light and dark under a vermilion sky.





	1. Chapter 1

I

Everything hurt. I could hear the crackling of burning wood frames of the houses, I could smell the smoke from it. The scent of scorched hair and burnt flesh filled my nose as well as the bitter metal tang of spilled blood. I couldn't move. My legs were pinned by a wooden beam that had fallen across them, still smoldering though I couldn't feel the flames anymore. I saw the raven alight on the beam and it cawed at me, it's beady eyes looking hungrily at me, hoping I'd give up and let it get some scrap of meat before the wolves did. I turned my gaze away from it and to the sky.

The sky was reddened and the sun black, wreathed in a silver ring that hurt my eyes and yet…I couldn't look away. It seemed to grow, getting bigger and bigger…I reached for it, a raspy cry tearing forth as darkness crept in on my vision.

_Help…_

* * *

She opened her eyes, staring up not at a black sun ringed in silver, but simple wooden beams that were eddied with darker browns and blacks in knots and tangles. She sat up, letting the sheets fall from her, exposing her tanned skin to the air. Shivering, she pulled the covers back over her bare arms. It was cool today, not unusual for an early fall morning, but still unwelcome to her.

A soft moan caught her ear and she turned to face a shorter young girl with blonde hair sleeping fitfully as the sunlight crossed over the pale face. A smile tugged at her lips as she got up, wincing at the icy floorboards and quietly padded over to the other child's side.

"Time to wake, sister dear," she smiled, "The sun is rising, so should we,"

Her sister opened an eye and frowned.

"It is too early," she muttered, "I want to sleep…"

"Come now, you know mother will be asking for us!"

"Girls?" an older female voice called from below, "Are you awake? Come down here! I have breakfast nearly ready!"

The younger of the two girls groaned as she pulled the covers back over her face, getting a giggle from the older.

"Come!" she smiled, pulling a simple shirt and leggings over her tanned form, "Let us go!"

A muffled moan was all she received as a reply. Undeterred, the elder hopped down the stairs, her reddish hair tangled and wild as she came to a stop, beaming up at her blonde mother.

"Good morning!" she smiled as her mother chuckled and drew her into an embrace.

"And a good morning to you too, Leona," she smiled, "I take it your sister did not want to wake,"

"If Diana was given the chance, I think she would sleep past the noon hour,"

"She is like her father then," her mother sighed, "Come and sit, I am afraid it is not much but if all goes well with the harvest today there should be more tomorrow,"

Leona nodded and clambered onto tall wooden stool by the table, looking at the rough-hewn bowl and the grey-white porridge within. She didn't quite care for this fare if she wanted to be honest. The texture was awful and always made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. If given the choice, she'd rather have the sweet griddle cakes that her mother made for holidays with white flour. Unfortunately, that had run out months ago and it was quite expensive.

The little girl began eating, barely suppressing shudders at the bland, watery taste. She was nearly finished when Diana came down the stairs, still holding a raggedy teddy bear and rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Good morning, Diana," their mother started, handing the younger sibling a bowl full of porridge.

"Morning," came the gap-toothed yawn from the pale child as she climbed up next to her sister.

"Now, I am going to help your uncle with the harvest today," their mother told them as the two continued to eat, "I need you two to take Vela and gather some berries and herbs to make medicine for Old Man Thomas. Can you two do that for me?"

"You can count on us!" Leona beamed as Diana blearily nodded.

"I am glad to hear that, my sweet little girls," she smiled as she kissed their heads, "I shall get Vela ready. Just do not go too fast and stay on the path I have marked, alright?"

"Yes Mama!" the two girls nodded.

* * *

"I will lead," Leona told her sister as Diana crawled into the back of the straw-filled wagon with the buckets, "You can sleep a little more,"

She got a hum in reply and Diana was asleep once again, her little form breathing deep and easy on the straw. Leona giggled as she skipped to the front of the wagon and patted the old grey mare on her nose.

"Morning Vela!" she beamed, "We are going to go for a little trip, then come back. We might have a nice carrot or something for you!"

The old mare nickered and gently nibbled on Leona's red hair, making the child giggle happily as she grabbed the lead and started forwards, the wagon creaking behind them. It wasn't too long until the girls entered the forest and arrived at the glade.

The trees grew tall and dark, the wind whispering through the leaves and gently ruffling Leona's scarlet locks. The little girl beamed, tying Vela's reins to a low hanging branch as the mare nickered and bent her head to graze. Leona skipped towards the back of the wagon, looking at her baby sister, who was currently curled up in a ball and sucking on her thumb.

"Wake up!" she chirped, "We are here, Diana! I need your help to get the berries!"

The younger sister slowly opened her grey eyes and yawned, stretching. She sat up, a few blades of straw hanging from her hair as she rubbed her eyes and nodded, her chubby hand grabbing a basket and handing it to her sister.

"I will go to the east side, you take the west?" Leona asked, getting a nod from her sister, "And no sleeping!"

Diana groaned but scooted to the edge of the wagon, swinging her chubby legs once, twice, before sliding off.

"Leona…" the little girl started, "Do you think everything is going to be alright this winter?"

Leona stopped and looked at her sister, noting the wide silver eyes that looked frightened.

"Why do you ask that?"

"We nearly froze last one," Diana said, "And the corn was not green and tall and pretty this year. It was short and sad looking,"

"We will be fine," Leona reassured her, "Mama is getting help from Uncle."

"W-What about the witches?"

Leona's blood chilled at the mention of that.

It was common knowledge that the Coven roaming in the darkness was often more active towards the winter, when the veil between the corporeal plane and the spirit plane was thinnest and the Old Gods could tear through it with little effort. Stories of villages going up in black flames and leaving no survivors had been floating around as of late. But whenever Leona brought it up to her mother, it was brushed off as 'unfounded worrying'.

"We will be fine," Leona repeated, though, in her heart, she wasn't quite sure.

Diana seemed to sense her uncertainty, but said nothing. Instead, the four year old toddled off to the side of the glade and hunted through the bushes to find the crimson berries that their mother would often use to make poultices and other healing elixirs. Leona frowned and turned to search the east end of the glade.

Diana hadn't been wrong. Their little family had barely survived the last winter. The Harvest had been bad and the winter had been long, icy and snowy. The spring hadn't come in a long, long time. Everything was so different now that their father was gone. He'd passed away in the battle against the witches last fall and ever since then, the village was failing and going through rough times. Especially the little family of three.

Leona kept hunting through the bushes. Surely there still had to be some berries left! It wasn't winter yet, they should be plentiful…

A snapping sound cracked through the glade, making the sisters immediately sit up and look around worriedly. Diana turned to her sister, her lip trembling as she shook in fear.

"L-Leona?" she stuttered.

"Just a deer," Leona reassured her, "T'is fine! See, there is nothing else. No other sounds going off,"

The younger sister gave a slow nod and looked back to her shrub patch, her little body still stiff with fear. Leona gave a shuddering breath and continued to look herself. To be honest, she was still shaken as well.

The two siblings spent hours trying, and failing, to find the berries. They finally sat down in the shade of the wagon and unpacked the lunch their mother had packed for them both, sharing the chunk of cheese and few slices of bread as they looked up at the spinning amber leaves in the breeze.

"What if we cannot find any?" Diana asked.

"Then we go back to Mama and try again tomorrow when she is not working with Uncle," Leona told her, "Mama said we should not go off the path without her."

"Right,"

Leona closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wood of the wagon. She hoped everything would be alright.

Another cracking sound came within the forest and Leona's eyes flew open as more followed it. Vela gave a whicker of fear and started pulling at her reins, trying to get free as she stomped and pawed at the ground. A thrill of terror chilled her soul. Something wasn't right.

Without thinking about it, she grabbed Diana and yanked her into the wagon, diving headfirst into the straw and covering both of them as best they could. The old grey mare gave a piercing whinny, foam gathering at the corners of her mouth as she chewed at her bit, yanking her head back and forth and trying to tear the reins from the tree Leona had tied her to.

"What is it?" Diana demanded and Leona clapped her hand over her sister's mouth, her heart hammering in her throat, hissing at her sister to be silent.

A sickeningly sweet feeling filled both girls, almost seeming to pull out of them. It almost felt  _good_  in a way, but it had an underlying feeling of guilt and shame that Leona very much disliked. Both girls squeezed their eyes shut and held each other tightly as Vela's panicked whinnying suddenly turned into a bloodcurdling shrieking sound…and then suddenly stopped, accompanied by a loud thumping sound as the wagon upended itself, spilling the girls to the ground underneath it. The feeling died down as the crackling sound went away. A few moments of dead silence passed and Leona cautiously opened her eyes, still holding her trembling and silently sobbing baby sister. Leona held up a finger to her mouth and motioned for her sister to stay under the wagon. She slowly crawled towards the opening and peered outside.

No one was outside, so Leona quietly climbed out from under the wagon and looked around. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she saw what happened. Vela lay on the ground dead. The grey mare's eyes were bloodshot and dark as bloodied foam gathered at the edges of her mouth, almost as if she'd been driven mad. But the sight of the beloved mare's demise wasn't what made Leona's heart freeze. Crimson poppies, or witches blooms as the village had called them, littered the glade, and scorched black around the edges from magic most foul. Those particular ones only appeared when witches were near and using magic.

She looked around and saw a trail leading towards the village…

Leona darted towards the wagon, leaning into the opening and seeing Diana's terrified face looking back at her.

"Stay here!" she ordered, "The witches…they are here. I need to get Mama, I will be right back I promise!"

"Leona!" Diana cried as Leona dashed away, her bare feet pounding against the hard dirt path.

Leona's heart thundered as she ran, eyes on the village, noting at how peaceful it looked as she ran through the gates and towards her home. She didn't see her mother in the fields, so she had to assume she was in the house. The six year old darted into the house, searching for her mother.

That lasted all but a second as a second feeling of something being pulled from her hit her and she skidded to a stop, her legs wobbling for a moment as the azure sky turned blood red and a bolt of black lightning shot from it, cracking down into the center of the village. All was silent for a moment before Leona was blown off her feet from the resulting shockwave. The village seemed to blow apart, blackened fire twisting and curling around each building, shattering them into twisted ruins.

Leona and Diana's home was no exception. The little girl managed to look up right as a burning beam from above broke off and crushed her legs under it. Leona screamed, tears streaming down her face from the pain as another shockwave blasted over the ruins. That was when she was thrown into blissful oblivion.

* * *

When she awoke, the ceiling had been blown apart, revealing the sky above her and the blackened sun in a halo of silver flame.

A raven alighted on the ruined stonework next to her, looking at her and giving a harsh caw. Tears streaked down her soot and dirt stained face. She was going to die…it was her dream all over again…

She looked up at the black sun and weakly raised a hand to it, shaking as the silver flame around it seemed to reach back around her.

Just when she felt everything starting to fade…she heard voices.

"I think I see something!"

"Radia, there is nothing here, the Coven obliterated it, just like the last one,"

"No, Theron, there is something here, I can feel it!"

"…Help…" Leona croaked, her voice barely above a whisper before she started crying, " _Help_ …"

"There! In that building! There is someone here!"

"Radia…"

The sound of metal on stone caught Leona's ear and she reached further into the sky.

"Please…" she wept, "Help…"

The figure of a woman with dark hair filled her vision and Leona's heart leaped as the woman's eyes widened.

"Theron! There is a survivor! Come help me!"

"Radia they are probably going to die…"

"I do not care,  _come help me_!" the woman, Radia, ordered as she gently took Leona's hand in her armored one, "We are coming, little one, just hold on,"

Leona gave a slow nod as her tears streamed even harder. She felt the beam getting lifted off her legs and Radia picked her up gently, holding her close to her chest.

"It is alright," Radia soothed as Leona broke into sobbing, clinging to the woman's blackened armor and laying her head on the orange ring on the chest, "You are in the Order of the Eclipse's care. You are safe now,"


	2. Chapter 2

II

_Run._

_Have to keep running._

_Have to find Mama._

_Have to get back to Diana._

_Where is everyone?_

_Why is the sky red?_

_Why is the sun black?_

_Why is everything on fire?_

_Why does it hurt?_

_Mama! Diana! Where are you!?_

Leona woke up, screaming and thrashing as her limbs became tangled in the sheets. The little girl hit the cold stone floor with a thud, crying out as pain rocketed up her legs and spine. The sound of a large, heavy door opening filled the air as well as the rapid clanking sound of metal on stone.

Gentle hands set themselves upon her shoulders, firmly forcing her to stop her thrashing. Leona looked up, tears streaming as she beheld the dark-haired and light eyed form of a woman in black armor who looked achingly familiar.

"Easy, you are safe," the woman soothed, drawing Leona to her chest and stroking her scarlet locks, "They cannot harm you,"

Leona shook as she looked up at the woman, blinking as she pulled away. The woman smiled gently as she brushed the tears away.

"Come here," the woman murmured, gently gathering the child in her arms and laying her back on the warm bed, "There. We have to be careful not to harm your legs even further,"

Leona frowned, looking down at the heavily bandaged limbs, bound with two planks of wood keeping them straight in a splint. Her arms were also wrapped in pristine white bandages from her shoulder all the way to her wrists, leaving her little hands free, yet shiny and pink almost as if they had been burned…

Her heart dropped as she looked back up at the woman, her eyes focusing on the orange ring on her chest. The images of a vermillion sky and black sun wreathed in silver fire, of fire and ruined buildings, of a dark-haired woman in black armor pulling her from the rubble filled her vision for a split second.

She put a hand on the woman's chest, on the ring, before putting her other hand on her own. Looking up at the woman in question and making the woman smile gently.

"You remember me," she said, "It is a bit bittersweet. I am happy you remember me and yet…I am not. For the only memory you will have of me is that I pulled you from the ruins of your village,"

She put her hand on Leona's shoulder.

"My name is Radia Ophelia," the woman, Radia, said, "I am a Knight of the Eclipse, you probably remember the Order as the ones who have fought against the Coven since the birth of Time. But that is not important right at this moment. What is your name?"

Leona tried to speak, but when she opened her mouth, no sound would come. Panicking, she put her hands to her throat and tried to speak again, only to give an animalistic whine as no words would form.

Radia gave a sad smile and embraced the little girl.

"It is alright, little one," she soothed, "Your voice will come back eventually. For now, rest and heal. And, please, try not to upset the splint."

She gently squeezed Leona's shoulder once more before getting up and exiting the infirmary, leaving Leona alone.

* * *

Leona sat in the window, staring out over the lands owned by the Order. She watched as a group of dark armored men and women sparred in a cleared out area with wooden staves and swords wrapped in cloth so as to not harm each other. It was odd. A group so determined to hunt witches seemed to have no magic and preferred to get up close to their foe.

She drew her newly healed legs back up to her chest. As if the witches would let them get close. She watched the sparring knights for a little while longer before getting up and padding towards her bed in the infirmary and sitting down on the soft cotton fabric.

Leona picked at the russet tunic she wore. Her old clothes had been badly burned and ruined from the disaster, the Order had been kind enough to provide some clothes for her: a tunic, leggings, undergarments, shoes and even night clothes. She was grateful that they were being so kind…but at the same time, it felt strange to her. What was it exactly they wanted?

The doors opened and Leona looked up just to see Radia enter in. The dark haired knight smiled as she came to the six year old and knelt down, examining the little girl's legs. A bright smile bloomed across the older woman's face as she looked up at Leona.

"Well, it seems that your legs have fully healed! I think it is time you see the other Foundlings," Radia smiled.

Leona cocked her head quizzically. Her voice still had not returned in the two months she'd been in the infirmary. And what was worse, she hadn't seen hide or hair of her baby sister. Did Diana make it out?

"Foundlings are what we of the Order call the children of the villages touched by the Coven. You, for example, are a Foundling. Foundlings are also orphans, so the Order takes it upon ourselves to raise them and care for them. Eventually, the children can decide to stay with the order or go on to other villages."

 _"So that is what they want,"_  Leona thought as she touched Radia's chest, a faint smile that didn't quite reach her haunted golden eyes gracing her face,  _"They take us in and give us things in hope we stay…but it does not seem_ bad _. It is like they are protecting us,"_

"You will stay here then?" she smiled, getting a nod from Leona, "Ah, little one, time will tell. Perhaps by then your voice will come back and you will be able to tell me your name,"

Leona nodded before embracing Radia, much to the knight's shock. Radia relaxed and smiled, embracing the child back gently before laying her hands on Leona's shoulders.

"Now then, shall we go and meet the others?"

Leona looked a bit doubtful, but she gave a slow nod as she got up off the bed and slipped on the boots that Radia had given her a few days ago. Radia held her hand out to Leona and the child slipped her smaller one into it. The knight and the child then proceeded to walk through the twisting, turning hallways of the manor or castle Leona couldn't tell.

The knight and child walked past a mural and Leona stopped, letting go of Radia's hand and staring at the painting with wide eyes. Radia's heavy footfalls stopped and the knight turned around to face the little girl. She gave a soft smile as her clanking steps came closer.

"That is the story of the Chosen of the Eclipse," the knight told her, "Legend says that our Order was founded when the Chosen of the Eclipse banished the Old Gods from their thrones. They bore a sword that took two years to forge, that changes shape when it is in the day and the night and a shield that bloomed with sunlight and moonlight. It is said that the Chosen will come back to us and drive out the Coven for good,"

Leona stared at the mural, at the dark armored figure holding the glowing sword as the sun seemed to get darker until the eclipse was shown before it transitioned from a sun to a moon and the armor changed, revealing the face of the Chosen and their pale white eyes while their flowing hair transitioned from white to blonde and vice versa.

"Come," Radia told her, gently touching her shoulder, "Let us go,"

With that, Radia led her away, but Leona could not take her eyes off the mural until Radia led her around a corner. The two finally stopped before a heavy wooden door decorated with wrought iron knockers in the form of a lion's maw holding a heavily ornamented ring. Radia grabbed a ring and opened the door.

Leona stared as the sound of children's laughter caught her ear and she looked through the wooden portal just to see children. Some of them were her age, some of them were younger but all of them had one thing in common.

All of them were hollow behind their eyes. Like the light that made their soul was gone. Leona looked up at Radia and pointed at her eyes and then at the room. Radia seemed to get the point and nodded sadly.

"All of them are like that…even you,"

Leona frowned. She still had her soul. She still felt the fire in her.

"They have seen things, little one," Radia murmured, "Seen the Coven destroy their homes, kill their families…all of them have been marked in their eyes,"

Leona bowed her head slightly before reaching up and reassuringly patting the knight's leg in comfort. Radia smiled and ruffled the girl's hair.

"Thank you, little one. Now, let us introduce you to the Foundlings,"

Radia led the little girl forwards, walking towards a young woman in a long russet gown. The woman smiled and waved as Radia came over.

"Radia! Good to see you!" she looked down at the little girl, "Oh! Is this the new little one we have?"

Radia gave a nod.

"She is a mute, Kara, the encounter with the Coven stole her voice," Radia told her, "So we do not know her name,"

Kara frowned as she knelt down and examined the child.

"She is like the last one you brought to me then," she said, "The boy,"

"How is he?"

"He is right over th-!" Kara yelped as a dark-haired blur seemed to leap on her, giggling as the little boy wrapped his arms around her.

"Got you!" he beamed as Leona hid behind Radia's leg.

"That you did," Kara chuckled as he let go and she ruffled his curls, "Here he is Radia, see? He has his voice,"

"Ah, and am I going to learn you name now?" Radia grinned, kneeling down to be eye level with the boy.

"I like the name that you and Kara gave me, Miss Radia," the boy smiled.

"Oh? Indeed, Pantheon does seem to fit you," Radia smiled.

The boy, Pantheon, grinned only for it to fall slightly as he spotted Leona behind Radia. He smiled as he came closer to her, not too close, but close enough that he could see her.

"Good morning! My name is Pantheon, well, my true name is Atreus, but Pantheon is the name that Radia gave me. What is yours?"

Leona tried to speak again, but once more, was left with the painful whimpers that were the remnants of her voice. Radia put a hand on Leona's head and looked to Pantheon.

"She is much like how you were, Pantheon," she told him, "Her voice was taken. Perhaps, like yours, it will return in time,"

"If that is the case, then I will stay with her!" he told Radia, his hollowed golden eyes bright, "If…that is alright with you,"

Leona looked at the eager little boy and then at Radia, who smiled. The red-haired child gave a nod and stepped out from her hiding place behind the knight.

"Until your voice returns, would it be alright if we gave you a name to call you by?" Radia asked.

Leona gave a frown but grudgingly nodded. Radia gave another smile.

"Do not worry, I will keep giving you names until you find one you like," Radia gave a hum and studied the little girl, "What of Lyonesse,"

Leona gave a small half smile. It was close enough.

"Lyonesse it is then," Radia smiled, "Perhaps though, you will tell me your name soon?"

Leona nodded. As soon as her voice let her speak she would  _definitely_  say her own name. Pantheon smiled and held out his hand.

"It is good to meet you, Lyonesse," he told her, "You probably just got here since I have not seen you before. And I know almost everyone here,"

"Pantheon here has been here longest," Kara said as Leona shook Pantheon's hand, "He has been here for four years,"

"I just reached my seventh year!" he smiled, "It is good to be alive,"

Leona nodded as Pantheon took her by the hand and led her through the room and introducing her to all the Foundlings within it. The little girl looked around the room as Pantheon introduced her to the last Foundling. There was one person she did not see.

She did not see Diana.


	3. Chapter 3

III

It still hurt to use her hands. The burns that scarred them pulled and stretched and made pain shoot through them even though it had been a long time since she had come to the Order's manor. The Caretakers were taking it upon themselves to teach the Foundlings how to read and write and have them attend this thing called 'school'.

Leona was torn between liking and hating school. She liked it because she got to discover new things. She hated it because she had to sit still and their instructor was not the most patient of people. The instructor apparently did not remember that Leona was still burned from her arrival and that, despite the many months in the Order's care, could still not speak.

The little girl put down the quill and looked at her hands, glaring heatedly at the twisting, shining scars that still had not healed. Radia and Kara had told her that due to the magical nature of the flames that caused them, they would take much longer to heal than a normal burn. She looked back up at the quietly scribblings children, noting the instructor going to one side of the room to help a little boy. She looked at Pantheon, who was currently doodling on the parchment.

It was nice that the Order was teaching them to read and write, but it was too painful for Leona to focus on for now. So, while no one else was looking, Leona quietly slipped out of the room. She took a few slow, quiet steps, before bolting down the hallway, her feet barely making a sound on the stones.

* * *

To say Radia was in a foul mood would be an understatement. The knight had just come from yet another destroyed village. Unfortunately, nothing was left, no survivors. Everyone was giving her quite the wide berth, seemingly off put by the black aura she gave off.

 _"Wise_ ," Radia thought as she made her way towards her own quarters.

The other thing that had angered her was the fact that despite their healers' best efforts, the little girl she had brought, the one she called Lyonesse, still was hurt and in pain and could not speak other than a few whines or grunts like an animal. They were still trying to teach her how to read and write, but the burns on the little child's hands made it painful and caused her to be prone to acts of truancy.

So, Radia was not surprised when she saw one of the Caretakers fidgeting in front of Radia's quarters.

"Again?" Radia asked, getting a nod from the Caretaker, "Do not fear, I will find her. She is probably where she always goes,"

"You should tell us where that is," the Caretaker reasoned, "So that we do not have to find you to get her,"

"And lose whatever trust I have built with her? Never," Radia growled as she walked back the way she came.

She made her way through the halls of the manor, praying she was wrong about the little girl's location. But, as fortune would have it, she was not. Lyonesse was sitting crosslegged in front of the mural of the Chosen of the Eclipse, looking at it in wonder. Radia sighed, that girl had far too much of an interest in that painting. Far more than anyone should.

The knight sat down next to the little girl, who looked side-eyed at Radia before turning back to the mural.

"You do know you are supposed to be in school, correct, Lyonesse?"

The little girl gave a huff before turning her hands, which were still bandaged, palm up.

"I know it hurts, but you should not just run out on your own,"

That earned Radia a rather mean glare from the child. The haunted golden eyes seemed to give out a flash of fire before they dimmed back to a dim ember and turned back to the mural.

"Why do you like this mural so much?" Radia asked, hoping the girl could speak at last.

Lyonesse shrugged and continued to look.

 _"Ah, so that is how you wish to play, very well then,"_  Radia thought.

"You know," Radia started, "Your instructor was quite worried about you,"

The little girl rolled her eyes in a display of sass that Radia hadn't seen before. The knight bit down her laughter and continued.

"Pantheon was as well," she finished.

The child froze, giving Radia another side-eyed look.

 _"So, that is how I can reach you. Mention him,"_  Radia hummed to herself,  _"The boy is a good friend, perhaps he can get her to talk,"_

"He thought the witches came and snatched you away," she told her.

A flash of fear flared in the girl's eyes and Radia held up her hands.

"Do not fear, you are safe here. The Order will not let the Coven come anywhere near here. But, Lyonesse, you have to realize…since you do not have your voice, we cannot help you as well as we could. I know your hands are healing and still hurt, but you need to learn to write so we can communicate. Which means not running off to come here,"

The little girl gave a whine and tried to talk, only to grip her throat in pain. She then smacked the ground in frustration.

"Do not push," Radia ordered, "Your voice will come back in time, I promise. Then perhaps I shall hear you again when it is not clouded by smoke,"

Lyonesse gave a sigh and nodded as Radia got up, holding out her hands. Radia gave a smile and pulled the little girl to her feet, only for the child to embrace her warmly. Radia gave a smile, stroking the child's head before looking up at the mural one last time. It was not a good idea for Lyonesse to keep coming back here. But it wasn't like Radia could stop her.

* * *

Weeks passed and Leona's hands had  _finally_  healed enough to get words on a page without causing her pain. She brought her parchment and quill close to her chest and took a deep breath as she knocked quietly on a wooden door. Radia's tired visage greeted her, only to brighten considerably once she saw who it was.

"Greetings, little one," she smiled, "What brings you here?"

Leona nodded towards her and Radia chuckled, stepping back to let Leona into the room. The room was Spartan in decoration. One window upon the east end of the room, a wooden floor and bed with a simple cover neatly made. A night stand with a single white candle half melted upon it lay upon the right while in the corner lay a massive black iron axe decorated with tendrils of orange and gold. A table lay in the center of the room, two chairs flanking it, while a dresser lay in the far corner by the door.

"What is it you wish to tell me?" Radia asked, gesturing towards the table.

Leona beamed as she darted towards the table, setting up her writing utensils. She was so proud she was able to do this. She dipped the tip of the quill in the ink bottle and wrote on the paper in a very shaky, trembling scrawl.

L-E-O-N-A

"…Leona?" Radia murmured before her eyes lit up, "Is that your name, little one?"

Leona nodded, smiling happily as Radia returned it.

"Well, I was certainly close with the name I picked for you," she chuckled, "And it certainly fits you,"

Leona gave a smile before it fell and she held up a finger.

"One more thing?" Radia asked, getting a nod in response.

D-I-A-N-A

"Diana, I do not recognize that name, Leona," Radia started, "Who is she?"

Tears started to well in Leona's eyes as she scratched on the parchment again.

S-I-S-T-E-R

Radia's shoulders went lax as her smile faded.

"You want to know where she is, do you not?"

Leona nodded, hope in her eyes.

"Leona, child, you were the only survivor in your village," Radia said slowly.

Leona shook her head vigorously.

W-A-G-O-N. F-O-R-E-S-T

Radia's face fell even further. She knew that wagon…she and Theron had passed it on their way to the village and back from it.

"The wagon was overturned on its side, Leona," Radia told her, "There was nothing there. Just some blood on the straw. I am so sorry,"

The blood drained out of Leona's face, turning her tanned skin snow white. She shook her head in disbelief. It couldn't be…she'd told Diana to stay there. To be quiet. That she'd be right back…

Tears starting falling down the child's face in rapid succession until the little girl was sobbing with great shoulder shaking cries.

"Leona…" Radia started, only to get pushed away as the child bolted from the room, her wailing and crying still ringing throughout the manor like the wind on the moors.

* * *

Leona sat with her back against the window's glass looking at the mural once again as the moon turned the area silver. She didn't know why she always felt drawn to this place, just that it felt like it was calling her. It was…comforting.

She pulled her knees up to her chest. She needed the comforting after the revelation she just received. She failed her sister, getting her killed because she wasn't with her. She was useless. She should have died instead of Diana…

"Is this spot taken?"

Leona lifted her head, swiping at her tears as she sniffed, just to see Pantheon holding a candle and a blanket. She shook her head as Pantheon sat the candle on a table and climbed up next to her, putting the blanket around her shoulders.

"I figured you were cold," he admitted before giving a soft half-smile, "I used to come here all the time too. I felt drawn to this place and it helped drive away the nightmares. Radia said you lost your sister in the attack on your village. I am sorry,"

Leona closed her eyes and drew the blanket closer to herself, trying to stave off the chilling notion that she was truly alone.

"We all lose someone we tried to save in the attacks," he continued, "You lost your sister, I lost my friend."

He gave a sad smile.

"I remember she always had the grace of a deer, so elegant we were surprised she was not a nobleman's daughter and a wit sharper than a knife. We always joked that if she ever lost a limb we would replace it with a blade and would not be able to tell the difference," he chuckled before looking back at Leona, "I am really sorry about your sister. I do not think she would be angry with you. You probably went back into the village to save someone else dear to you. Father?"

She shook her head.

"Mother then?"

Leona nodded.

"If I could go back and do that I would," he told her, "You are far braver than I,"

She gave a sad smile and Pantheon put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to stay here?" he asked, "or do you want me to go?"

She reached up and held his hand, still shaking. Pantheon gave a nod and settled back against the window.

"…A…treus…"

Pantheon's eyes widened as he looked at her, seeing her give a weak smile.

"Th-thank…you," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

IV

_The air was full of a sickly sweet scent that made her head spin. Blood red poppies dotted the forest floor, seared black edges molding away from the magic that clung to her. She continued onwards, her feet making harsh thuds as black armor shredded through the delicate blooms._

_Keep going…have to keep going…_

_She made it into the clearing, staring at a little pale form standing in the center. Wide, luminous silver eyes made contact with hers as she reached for her._

_"Leona…" the child pleaded, "You promised me! You said you'd come back!"_

_Leona began to run, the stench of magic growing stronger and stronger as the red-head came closer. She got close enough to touch Diana as the moon turned a bloody scarlet and the glade gained a silvery-blue glow. Diana shrieked, scrambling away from Leona as smoke rose from her hands. Leona looked down at herself, looking at the black iron gauntlets that glowed with a calm silver-blue light…_

_And the shining sword and shield in them._

Leona yelped as she shot up and whimpered as she smacked her head on the bunk bed roof above her. Rubbing her head, she shook the remaining wisps of her dream away. The twelve year old hugged her arms, shivering in the bright moonlight.

"Pssst,"

Leona's head raised and she looked around to see Pantheon beside her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"Come with me," he started.

"Wh-Why?" she blinked.

"Come!" he whispered, "There's something I want to show you! And it's only tonight when it happens!"

Leona cocked her head, but swung her legs over the side of her bed, pulling on her boots and grabbing her cloak before following the black-haired boy.

The two children snuck through the manor, avoiding the patrols that casually strolled through the hallways. They managed to hide behind a corner and Leona turned to Pantheon.

"There are so many guards, what is going on?"

"They are normally more active at night," he explained, waving her onwards as the patrol left, "The Coven normally tries to attack at night, they would not  _dare_  attack the manor in the day,"

"And you want us to go outside where the witches are  _waiting_!?" Leona hissed.

"It will be  _fine_!"

Leona closed a golden eye and Pantheon gave a roguish grin as he pulled her onwards.

"Trust me," he told her.

"I do, and that's what worries me."

Pantheon rolled his eyes and dragged her out of the manor doors and into the night. The stars blazed overhead in a dazzling display, pinpricks of crystalline white in a deep navy velvet. The moon shone, painting the grounds and everything else within it's sight silver. Leona's bright scarlet hair was now blonde while Pantheon's black hair turned ashen grey.

"Come!" he smiled.

The young girl gave a sigh and followed her friend. The two continued through the silver night, their feet light over the soft grass that waved in the wind. Finally, they went down a hill and stopped before a lake. Leona had seen the lake from the manor windows, but had never gone to it before. Pantheon gave a smile and sat down on the shore, the water lapping just out of reach of his feet.

"I figured you would want another place to get away than the mural," he told her, "The sound of water is nice on the ears after a nightmare,"

Leona could not argue with that. It was rather soothing, he was right about it. What surprised her was the fact that he had stripped off his shirt and got off the beach.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Swimming,"

"W- _Why_?"

"It is a beautiful night and it is warm out," he replied, stepping in the water, "Come! The water is warm,"

Leona stared at him, he was a strange one indeed. To be so carefree when there were witches everywhere. She shook off her wonder and frowned.

"I do not know," she told him, "I have no clothes to change into,"

"I brought extra clothes and a cloak for you. Come!" he insisted.

Leona's golden eyes narrowed.

"You dug through my closet?" she demanded.

"Aye, and what of it? I promise I did not linger," he reassured her, "I grabbed the first clothes I found."

Leona gave a low growl but took off her boots and stockings and went into the water. Pantheon gave a brilliant smile only for it to turn into a shocked frown as Leona struck him.

"Do not go into my closet again," she hissed, eyes flaming in the moonlight.

"I promise I will not," he said, "But I wanted this to be a surprise."

She closed an eye and he gave a wry grin before diving under the water, only to resurface a ways away.

"Come!" he called, "You will not have a finer night to swim!"

She rolled her eyes but came deeper into the water, feeling the sand squish between her toes as the fish in the lake gently swam by them. The lake's surface was almost like a mirror save for the ripples caused by their wake, starlight twinkling in a dark reflection of the sky above. Leona took a breath and dove under the water, letting the ambient music of the night go silent as her own heart thudded in her ears. She resurfaced, shaking water from her hair as she looked at Pantheon, who grinned and crossed his arms.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked.

"No," she huffed, splashing him with the water before leaping at him as he wiped his eyes, sending him under the water.

He came up sputtering and a wild light entered his eyes.

"Oh, now you have made a mistake," he growled playfully as he grabbed her and dunked her under the water as well while she gave a light shriek of surprise.

They continued to swim and play in the water until a prickling feeling traveled up Leona's spine. The young woman looked up at the sky…just to see the moon's lower quarter patched with a russet color.

"Atreus," she started, making him look up as well.

"An eclipse," he told her, "We should go back…the Knights will all be outside to watch it, it will make getting back to our rooms easier while it is still going."

Leona nodded and the two made their way back to the shore.

* * *

The two quietly crept through the manor, Pantheon had been right, the Knights were all watching the eclipse outside. Though why, Leona did not know. The two quietly walked past the chapel, a place that was off limits to the Foundlings and always had two guards before it.

However, now it was unguarded. Pantheon had stopped and was looking at the doors. He turned to Leona with a slightly roguish grin.

"I have always wondered what is in here," he admitted.

"As have I," she nodded before looking in either direction, "It…would not hurt to just peek, would it?"

"So you  _do_  have a sense of adventure!" he grinned, "Come, let us see what is inside!"

The two opened the door and slipped inside, closing the heavy portal behind them. When their eyes adjusted to the dim light, Leona gasped.

There were no torches or candles in the room, it was lit completely by natural light. The room was large with a high vaulted ceiling painted with the Mural Leona so loved. The full moon and sun seemed to glitter and glow as they went through the stages of an eclipse while the Chosen one's hair faded from gold to white in continuous sequence. Pews of elegantly carved marble lined the aisle way, polished until they shone with a slick, glassy texture. A massive stained glass window depicting the Chosen of the Eclipse triumphing over the Coven was at the very front of the cathedral, open to the sky at the very top in a circle where the slowly ruddying moon fit perfectly.

But that was not what took Leona's breath away.

Before the window on a 'stage' was an altar carved with moons and suns and stars. Upon that altar lay a silver sword, gently curved at the top yet deathly sharp and a massive shield that seemed to have bits of blue, purple and green stained glass within its frame.

"Do you hear that?" Pantheon asked.

"What?" she murmured, still staring at the weapons.

"That humming," he said, shifting on his feet, "It is faint, but I do not like this, Leona,"

She heard it. However, it was not faint. It thundered in her ears as if someone were singing it before her, a low and warm voice that set fire to her blood.

"Tis fine," she dismissed, walking towards the altar.

"Leona, that does not seem wise…" Pantheon tried, following her.

She ignored him, stepping up to the altar to get a closer look at the weapons. The song was louder here, almost…

Almost as if the sword and shield themselves were singing…

Her bones felt like they were vibrating, it was so unbearably warm, like she'd swallowed something hot. It  _pulled_  at her, seeming to drag something out of her core and through her fingertips, causing them to spark with silver light as she reached for the hilt of the sword…

And a large, tanned hand grabbed her wrist, yanking her backwards. Leona gave a yell of frustration and fought back only to realize who it was.

Radia did  _not_  look happy.

"What are you two  _doing_  here?!" she demanded, her eyes wild and scared as she shook Leona's shoulders.

"We were just curious," Pantheon tried, "The Chapel is always barred from us and we figured that we could see what was in here. We were not going to cause trouble, honest!"

"Go to bed. It is late and we will talk in the morning," Radia growled, glaring at him with her pale eyes.

She turned to Leona.

"You come with me,"

* * *

"Why did you reach to take the sword," Radia asked as the two sat in front of the Mural again.

"It felt like it was calling me," Leona admitted, "I could hear it humming. So could Pantheon, though he didn't follow me to the dias,"

Radia frowned. That was  _not_  good. Only someone who was a candidate could hear the song, and if they  _were_  the right one…well, Radia knew how that story went.

"You are entering your thirteenth year, little one," she said, "As you know, Foundlings are able to join the Order or go to lead normal lives once they turn thirteen."

"I am staying,"

"To be honest, I am glad and I knew you would say that," Radia told her, "Though what path you will choose is yet to be seen."

She turned to look at the mural.

"Tell me little one, why is it you are fascinated with this painting?"

Leona shrugged.

"It just…feels right to me, being here." she told her, "Like I have known this painting my entire life."

A spark of fear entered Radia's heart.

 _"Something is not right…"_  and then the spark bloomed into a flame,  _"…Oh little one I hope and pray that this is not your destiny. Please…whatever kindly gods are out there, do not let her be the One."_

For it was not known what happened the last Chosen of the Eclipse…but it was known that their life was not a happy one indeed.


	5. Chapter 5

V

"You are now entering your thirteenth year of life," Kara said, looking at the ten thirteen year olds before her, "You have a choice, go and live a normal life in the surrounding villages, or you may stay within the Order and take on roles here."

Leona looked at the other teenagers, she knew four of them were likely to leave. She knew two for sure would stay. The other four she had no idea. One by one, the teenagers were called up to Kara and gave their decision. The four Leona had pegged to leave, three girls and a boy, did in fact choose to leave. Pantheon of course decided to stay, choosing to become a Squire.

"Leona Aurelia,"

Leona started, looking up at Kara and making her way towards the Head Caretaker. She gave a warm smile as the red-haired teenager came forwards.

"What will you decide, little one?" Kara asked.

"I would like to stay," Leona replied.

"Ah! Very good!" came the smile, "Tell me, what would you like to pursue? Will you be a Scholar? A Caretaker? Or even a Knight?"

Leona paused. Scholar was out of the question. As much as she loved to read, writing still brought back bitter memories of painfully trying to write with burned hands.

Caretaker was a possibility. She did enjoy taking care of the little Foundlings and protecting them, though the sick and dying made her heart hurt.

Then there was the last option, Knight. She remembered staring up at the reddened sky while Radia dug through the wreckage of her home, pulling her out and holding her tightly…

"I wish to be a Knight," Leona said, "So that I can continue the mercy that was given to me,"

She looked up at Radia, who gave a smile and nodded as Leona made her way to her and Pantheon.

* * *

"RAH!"

Leona raised her staff as Pantheon charged her, the two wooden staves clacking together as the latter sprang off and tried to swing again at her. The red haired girl quickly blocked before kicking him away.

"You cannot be defensive all the time!" he protested.

"Yes I can! Watch me!" she retorted, "Cometh at me!"

Radia chuckled, watching the two squires whaling on one another, their wooden staves clacking and cracking against each other in a rhythmic beat. Leona was constantly on the defensive, blocking anything and everything Pantheon threw at her. She never once attacked saved for the well-aimed kick to the chest, legs and…

Pantheon yelped in pain, curling up on the ground while Leona dropped her staff and came over to him while the former crossed his legs in agony. Theron, who was watching, winced as his own body moved to cover that particular point. Radia, however, was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"I told you," Leona said as Pantheon groaned, taking her offered hand, "I will play defensive all I want,"

He rolled his eyes…and then swept his staff behind her legs and upwards, knocking her flat on the ground.

"And I…told you that it wouldn't work," he grunted, getting a golden glare from Leona as she sucked air back into her lungs.

"If these two do not end up together something is wrong," Radia chuckled as the two started bickering and trading staff blows.

"Aye, perhaps. But you know it is probably not going to happen," Theron told her, "Very rarely do Knights get together."

"You know why I refused," Radia told him quietly, "It was not because there was no love. Far from it,"

Both fell quiet and continued to watch the two young squires. Their bickering and their blows soon got the attention of the rest of the yard.

"Perhaps we should make this interesting," Radia mused.

"I agree," Theron nodded before raising his voice, "Leona, Pantheon, front and center!"

The two squires stopped their sparring and quickly jogged to the older knight, staves in hand.

"Any strike marks a win," Theron stated, tilting his head towards the staves, "Kicking or punching does not count,"

"Yes sir!" the two nodded as they made their way to the circle drawn on the ground.

Theron raised his hand as the two settled into ready positions and turned their faces to him. He quickly lowered it and Leona delivered a formal first strike to begin the match.

As expected, Pantheon easily deflected it and wound up with a powerful overhead strike. She angled her staff ever so slightly to redirect the incoming strike to her right.

He seemed to sense the defensive move, and instinctively adjusted his strike to provide more energy for a follow-up hit instead. His staff scraped along Leona's and swung down towards the ground. He pulled it through an arc that was parallel to his left side, coming back towards Leona.

"Impressive," Theron mused as Pantheon lunged forwards.

Leona stayed in a defensive posture and prepared to redirect Pantheon's much more powerful blow while leaving her in a position to deliver a strike of her own.

"She is a defensive fighter. There is not much that could penetrate that shield should she raise it," Radia stated.

"Perhaps she is a dual wielder or even a sword and shield wielder," Theron told her, not noticing the face Radia made, "Pantheon looks like he would dual wield as well."

And so the "dance" began, an elegant whirling and flying series of strikes and parries that couldn't be called anything else. It was far more demanding and intimate than even the most challenging dance styles. With the sparring, they had to know their opponent's moves well enough to anticipate the next strike and parry it, while also thinking about how to land a blow of their own.

"They are quite good," Radia admitted, "perhaps the best we have had so far."

"Agreed,"

The two squires had tuned out everything but the fight and each other. After a minute, Pantheon slipped up, and Leona gave him no mercy. She used her speed and agility to dart inside of his strike zone and began to deliver a furious series of blows, driving the male fighter backwards.

"She waits for the perfect moment before she fights," Theron hummed.

Until Leona slipped ever so slightly on the sweat and dust of the circle. Now  _Pantheon_  began to push the offensive again, and Leona expertly deflected his blows. The match continued like that for quite some time, before Leona and Pantheon somehow wound up with their staves locked together… on the opposite side of their opponent's staff. They looked each other in the eyes for a moment, their breathing completely in sync as their shoulders heaved.

"Now how do we tell who won?" Leona asked.

"I do not know, but for the sake of that argument, we will say I did," Pantheon teased only to get a kick to the shin from Leona, "I jest! I jest!"

"Well done both of you," Radia said as the two lowered their staves, "I believe tha-"

She was cut off as an iron bell rang, low and dark. The assembled knights and squires' hearts sank. Coven sighting, another village was going up in flames.

"Knights, to your mounts, squires, back to the barracks," Theron ordered, his voice booming over the training grounds, "Make haste!"

The dust rose in billowing clouds as the knights and squires made their hurried way out of the open and back to the manor, armory and stables.

* * *

Leona handed Radia a gauntlet and helped the knight tie it tight. Part of her duties as a squire was to help her assigned knight with their armor, helping them to put it on and keep it maintained.

"Any news on where this raid was?" Leona asked, "Any survivors?"

"Not too far from where your village was," Radia replied, "The Coven tends to attack at random, we have yet to find out how or why,"

Radia looked up as she felt Leona stop her work. She turned to face the teenager, whose tanned face was red with rage and her golden eyes were filled with tears.

"Please kill them," she whispered, "For my mother, my uncle and my sister. They deserve to die for what they did. Make sure it is painful.  _Please._ "

Radia gave a sigh and put her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Do not say such things," Radia said, "Anger leads to hatred and hatred to suffering. Such a beautiful light should not be clouded by hate, Leona. Yes, what happened to you was awful. But if we let hatred cloud us, we become just as bad as the Coven. Do you understand me? Do not hate. Grieve. Grieve for your family, for those witches that will never know love. But do not hate,"

The rage seemed to go out of the young woman's face, though the tears remained.

"Dry your tears, little one," Radia smiled, gently brushing the red-head's cheek, "Not all tears are an evil, but you will not be able to see the way to the stable with them there. I can finish here, go and grab Gringolet,"

Leona nodded and started towards the door.

"And Leona…"

The ginger paused and turned towards her mentor.

"Do not give him any more sugar cubes. He has been an imp," Radia growled.

"But he is a good horse!" Leona protested, only to sigh at Radia's scowl, "Fine, fine I shall not give him sugar cubes…I shll give him an apple instead!"

And she bolted out the door.

"What am I going to do with you," Radia sighed.

* * *

Radia traveled through the woods, the leafy canopy whispering in the wind above her. Her horse's hoofbeats were rhythmic and continuous. He wasn't worried in the least. However, his rider was a different story.

The dark-haired knight was deep in thought, keeping in mind what she had seen today. Leona and Pantheon were two exceptional warriors. There was no doubt that they would become great knights when the time came. She simultaneously looked forwards to their graduation into knights and dreaded it.

Both of them being orphans, she liked to picture herself as somewhat of a motherly figure to them. And with that notion, their success was her own and it made her proud beyond belief to see them prosper. What scared her though…is there was a high probability that her little ones would not have a happy life once they became knights.

Especially if one of them became the Chosen one.

Her grip tightened on Gringolet's reins, causing the bay to nicker in discomfort as the bit was drawn backwards.

"Sorry, old friend," she murmured, patting his neck, "I am just worried about the future is all,"

She gently nudged his sides and continued onwards through the forest. At the heart of the forest, she slowed down, listening to the quiet around her. To her surprise, there was a sound just to her left. Radia stopped Gringolet with a murmured word and dismounted, unstrapping her axe from its fastenings on his back and leading him off the road towards the sound.

It sounded like a child crying.

They made it to a clearing and Radia stopped, seeing the clearing full of poppies edged black. The Coven was here. She dropped her mount's reins as he stomped his hoof twice in discomfort. One of the benefits of having an Order bred mount is they did not run or go insane from a witch's presence.

What made Radia stop wasn't the flowers however. It was the little blonde-haired girl in white kneeling in the center and crying. Radia held her axe lightly as she went towards the child, crushing the flowers underfoot.

At the sound of her footsteps, the little girl looked up. Her pale eyes were lighter than Radia's own, an icy silver color that looked like the moon graced them with light. At the sight of the black armored knight, she scooted backwards a bit, crushing poppies under her and Radia saw why she was crying.

The little girl, maybe ten or eleven it was hard to tell, had a nasty wound on her leg, likely from a fall and she limped here.

"It is alright little one," Radia soothed, kneeling to the ground in front of the girl, "My name is Radia, I shall not hurt you,"

The girl looked at her curiously, but relaxed as Radia took out a medical pack and settled down next to the child as she pulled out a little flask.

"Hold still, this will sting a little," Radia warned, getting a nod from the girl as she tensed.

Radia poured a few drops on the girl's leg, getting a scream from the child as the wound started to close from the potion.

"Easy," Radia murmured, "It is alright, your wound is healing over, see?"

The child watched in wonder as the wound finished closing.

"Do you have any family?" Radia asked.

The girl shook her head.

"Can you speak?"

"I can speak," the girl stated, "Thank you for helping me,"

"It was my pleasure, little one," Radia smiled, "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Oh! That is right, I did not say. My name is Diana,"

The blood drained from Radia's face. Wasn't Diana the name of Leona's sister that was lost in the attack?

"You…would not happen to know a red-haired child named Leona, would you?" Radia asked slowly.

Diana's eyes widened and filled with tears as she nodded violently.

"My older sister! But…but she died! Our village…"

"Leona is alive and well, my Order took her in. Oh child, how happy she will be to know you live! She has been grieving you for so long!" Radia smiled, "Come with me,"

"That isn't what they told me…" Diana muttered but looked up at Radia, "Can you…can you take me to her? Please?"

Radia smiled and nodded, giving a gasp as Diana nearly tackled her, sobbing in happiness.

"Thank you!" the girl cried, tears of joy streaming, "Thank you so m-AH!"

The smell of burned flesh filled the air and Diana screamed as she pushed off Radia, staring at her horribly burned and mutilated hands.

"You hurt me…" she breathed, "I thought you were going to help me!"

Radia's blood ran cold as she saw the child's scorched hands and arms.

"Diana…who told you Leona was dead…" Radia whispered as she came towards the child.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Diana shrieked, raising her hands to shield her.

A sinking feeling grew in Radia's stomach, the poppies around the child began to die, withering and dying, fading to ash. Weakness took Radia and her strength left her limbs. She fell to her knees as the sickly sweet taste of dark magic filled her mouth. The Knight coughed but the feeling of something strangling her remained. She clawed at her throat, trying to pry invisible hands off of it…but froze as she saw her hands. No longer strong and pale, but rather wrinkled with age and liver spotted. The Knight's horror grew as she saw her once raven black hair turning white and some of it even fell out. She tried to get to her feet, but her legs would not obey. The atrophying muscles became weaker and weaker until Radia was forced to lay on the ground, unable to move and unable to stop the screams of agony and fear that tore from her throat.

The sickening taste of magic got stronger as another voice spoke.

"Diana, are you alright?"

She heard the girl sniffling and Radia weakly lifted her head to see a tall, stately woman with long waves of blonde hair…and a headdress that resembled a stag's head and antlers.

The Grand Witch, the Coven  _leader_ …

"My hands, Lady Lissandra," Diana wept as the Grand Witch knelt down, gently putting a hand on the girl's and healing it.

Radia gave a pitiful moan as the magic leeched life from her still. Lissandra turned to face the fallen knight and a pitying smile tugged at her perfect lips. The enchantress glided forwards and firmly grabbed Radia's chin with her hands, ignoring the burning of the pale flesh.

"I think that I should give you a particular punishment for trying to take my dear one from me," the witch murmured, "I am quite fond of this one and I do not take kindly to people taking what is mine."

Radia hissed and gathered up all her strength to spit in the witch's face.

"How vulgar," Lissandra hummed, squeezing the knight's chin tighter and making Radia cried out.

"Lady Lissandra…" Diana started, "She said Leona was alive…we can get her back, yes?"

"Dear child, she was lying to you," Lissandra said, "I buried your sister personally, it is like I have told you. The Order burned your village to the ground, I saved you,"

Lissandra gave a smile that made Radia's feeble heart stop for a moment.

"Do not fret, dear child, I will not let this one do to you what she did to your sister. I will take this opportunity to send a message to her precious Order of the Eclipse."

* * *

Leona was tending to another knight's armor when the iron bells rang again. The young Squire leapt to her feet and rushed out the door. Perhaps news of Radia had come! The older knight had been gone for a very,  _very_  long time.

The gates swung open and it was indeed Gringolet that galloped at full speed through them, but something was wrong. Radia was not on his back. Instead, a large bag was tied to the bay's side.

Leona quickly grabbed Gringolet's reins as the horse slowed, his sides heaving and flecked with sweat and foam as his legs trembled. The massive creature collapsed to his knees and then to his side, unmoving as the light left his wild eyes. Leona's trembling fingers reached for the sack tied to him.

She had some trouble with the knot with how much her hands shook, but she finally managed, dimly noticing the crowd that had joined her. The cloth came undone and with a mighty crash and clatter spilled a pile of black armor with the chest piece sporting a simple ring of orange.

A sickening sweetness lingered over the armor pieces, evidence of magic, and peeping through the openings and cracks were scores of witches' blooms. Leona's heart froze and dropped to her stomach as she put a hand on the long scratch upon the breastplate, the one that even with hours and  _hours_  of cleaning and buffing refused to come out.

It was Radia's armor.

Radia, the mentor and mother figure of Leona, had been killed by the Coven.


	6. Chapter 6

VI

The rain fell in heavy, ash grey drops as the population of the manor gathered in the chapel. Pantheon and Leona watched as the priest gave the eulogy for Radia, though it seemed as if Leona was distracted. In truth, it wasn't so much being bored than being in pain. The humming was back, Leona could see the sword and shield on the altar behind the priest, though the sword and shield looked a lot different in the day.

The humming thundered in her skull, vibrating in her teeth and causing a massive headache to plague her that made it hard to pay attention to anything. Pantheon looked uncomfortable as well, but it was  _nothing_  compared to hers.

The squires pushed the headache back as best they could and watched the proceedings. They watched as the priest walked over to an alcove, something that Leona had missed the last time she was in the chapel. The priest set Radia's axe in the hands of a statue that looked  _eerily_  like the fallen knight, and watched as the statue's crevasses glowed with a gentle golden light before fading.

"May your soul find rest and the Eclipse keep its ever watchful eye on those you loved. May your loved ones live long and prosperous from your sacrifice, Radia Ophelia, Knight of the Eclipse," the priest spoke before turning to the crowd, "The funeral rites are over, you may return to your duties."

Leona found herself alone, kneeling before the newly made statue as tears streamed down her cheeks. She could hear a footstep end behind her and a hand lay itself on her shoulder.

"You should return to your duties, child," the priest said, "She would not want you to grieve."

"I cannot grieve, I only feel anger and hatred," Leona spat, "the ones that did this need to die."

The priest seemed taken aback at the words but renewed his resolve.

"Then you did not know her."

"I KNEW HER!" Leona snarled, whirling on him, "She was the  _only_ semblance of family I had after they took my own from me! They took  _everything_  from me! They all deserve to burn in whatever Hell awaits them and their masters! There is no good in this world! Now leave me  _be_!"

She returned, shaking, to her grieving and the priest wisely backed away. He looked at the grieving woman one last time and he could have sworn he heard a soft humming sound from the altar. But he ignored it, figuring his ears were still ringing from the rage of the red-haired squire mourning the loss of her knight.

* * *

Pantheon stood in the doorway of Leona's room, tapping his foot. Leona had not left her room in months, still mourning the death of Radia. It was time to move on.

"You have not left your room,"

"I do not want to," came the mumbled reply from the bed where the red-haired squire had buried her head in her pillow.

"What you want is not important," he stated, "What you are expected to do and have to do are."

"Leave me."

"No," he growled firmly, "Leona, you have been in here for  _months_. She is gone. The world is a bit darker from it yet, aye, but there is nothing you can do to change that. You sitting here moping is not going to change anything."

"Leave me be," Leona snapped back, "Let me grieve,"

"She has been gone for months, Leona. Move on. I have, Sir Theron has, we all have. You are the only one who has not," he hissed, coming into her room and grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to look at him, "Do you think you were the only one who has lost something?! That you are the only one that feels they have been stabbed in the gut with a sharp blade? She was like a mother to me as well! Even more so than you! She  _raised_  me, Leona! I do not remember my parents. I just remember her, she who fed me, bathed me, helped me walk and talk again after I too lost my voice! You lost your savior. I lost my  _mother_. And do you see me laying around feeling sorry for myself, that the world has been jerked out from under me like a rug? NO! I am out fighting. I am out training to protect those I love against the threat of the Coven. I am doing what  _she wanted me to do_. If you will not do that, you dishonor her memory and name and I know not which is sadder."

He let her go and stormed out the door, leaving Leona to stare at where he was in shock.

A while later, Pantheon was working on his forms when he felt something sweep his legs out from under him. With a roar he leapt back up to his feet and whirled around…only to see Leona standing there before him.

"If you ever accuse me of dishonoring her again I will do worse than just sweep your legs out," she threatened before moving to a training dummy.

Pantheon bared his teeth in a grin. She was angry still, but at least it wasn't at herself.

* * *

"Where is he taking us all?" Leona asked as she leaned in the saddle to get closer to Pantheon.

"I do not know, I did not ask nor am I going to," he replied, shifting in his own saddle as the caravan of knights and squires rode down the road.

Theron had called the squires together and ordered them to gather supplies for a four day trip. He told them that they would resupply before they made their way back, but they would not stop save to rest until they got to their location. And he refused to tell them where it was they were going.

"Four days journey," Pantheon murmured, "What is accessible in a four day's journey?"

"Prythas to the north, Eostum to the east, Sylvas to the south and there's nothing to the west," Leona told him.

"But we are heading to the west,"

"I know, and that is what bothers me. Where is he taking us to?"

"If you will stop asking questions, you will find out," came Theron's voice from ahead, "Patience friends, you will enjoy this I promise."

"How did he hear us?"

"I do not know," Pantheon shrugged as he urged his mount forwards, "But in any case, let us press on, yes?"

Leona nodded as she spurred her mare onwards. The small group of Knights and Squires numbered ten, five Knights and their partnered Squires. With Radia's death, Leona was assigned to a newly knighted woman by the name of Josephine. To say the two got along like fire and water was an understatement. Josephine was the complete opposite of Radia. Arrogant, impatient, and had a very 'holier than thou' attitude that rubbed Leona the wrong way. So, she made sure that she was  _far_  away from the Knight as she could.

Josephine was currently riding up front, right behind Theron with her head held high and just  _radiating_  ssmugness. Leona gave a huffing growl as Pantheon patted her shoulder.

"I am truly sorry," he said, getting an eye roll from her, "How hellish is it?"

"Very," came the reply, "She has me not only do my tasks as a squire but also some of the most menial jobs she can think of. Cut wood for her fire, empty the chambers, mend not only her armor but her clothes, she even had me help her bathe. I did not know that she was incompetent."

Pantheon gave a wry grin and shrugged.

"Perhaps she does not know any better,"

"Oh she knows perfectly well," Leona muttered, "She just believes she can get away with whatever she wants because she is a knight and I am a squire. One day I will become a knight, I will be her equal, no, I will be better."

"I hope that is true," Pantheon agreed, "Sir Theron is strict, but he is kind."

"And secretive as well," Leona said, looking ahead, "For he still will not tell us where we are going,"

They kept riding until nightfall, where Sir Theron had them stop to rest. When morning dawned, the group continued onwards, ever onward until on the fourth day, Sir Theron had them halt right before a massive forest that was so thick it nearly blotted out the sun.

He turned to the group and smiled.

"Welcome, young squires, to the Elderwood."

* * *

Diana wandered into a part of the Coven's Hall that she had not been into before. When she was younger, she was told that she was not allowed to go there as that was where the dangerously sick were. The young witch continued, holding the candle so it's light was shuttered just enough for her to see but not so little that anyone would be able to see her.

She came to a door that was heavily bound with magic, causing the vines and thorns to bristle around it and dissuade anyone from coming inside. Diana leaned towards it, drawn by the pull of sorcery…and she heard a man's voice on the other side.

"I can sense you out there," the voice said, the timbre achingly familiar, "Have you come to mock me as well?"

Diana frowned, raising her hand and laying it on the door. A feeling of euphoria soared from her core and through her figure tips, making her shudder in delight as her own silver magic bloomed forth like a flame over the vines and thorns, causing them to retract and let the door be opened.

She pushed open the door and stepped into the dark room. Sitting upon the floor, chained to the wall was a man in black Order of the Eclipse armor. His long, wavy hair was a pale white color and his eyes were a blue-tinted gold. He looked up at Diana and his white hair suddenly flamed with a blue-white sheen that sent sparks of light over the room.

"Diana…" he breathed, "Is that you?"

The young woman frowned as she came closer.

"Who are you?" she asked as he struggled to his feet and let his face hit the light.

She dropped the candle in shock, the flame guttering and dying on the stone floor, letting the only light be the moonlight and the light that shone and shimmered from the man.

"F-Father?" she breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

VII

The Elderwood was as beautiful as Theron remembered. The tall, strong trees weaving together to form an emerald chapel of whispering leaves. The squires all stared in awe as they rode through, all of them slack-jawed save for one. Even with the beauty all around her, Leona's grim demeanor had not changed.

 _"Oh child what are we going to do to heal your heart?"_  Theron wondered as the red-head gave a weak smile to humor her dark-haired friend who was excitedly pointing at some piece of wonder.

It took a little while, but they made it to a massive tree. Except, it wasn't just one massive tree, it was dozens that had grown together to form one massive trunk of multiple woods. Of oak, yew, beech, sycamore, maple and cherry. A door was carved into the massive trunk and it was before this door that the first human life was seen by the party. A young man in green with flowing blond hair and eyes that were lightly closed. He gave a smile as Theron dismounted, motioning for the squires to follow suit.

"Do not wander too far, but feel free to see this place to it's fullest," Theron told the squires, "Learn what it is we are meant to protect."

The squires all meandered around the clearing and Theron made his way to the man at the foot of the tree.

"Greetings Knight of the Emerald Chapel," Theron started.

"Greetings Theron," the man replied, raising an eyebrow, "come to bring the new group of squires to the Elderwood?"

"As is tradition."

"You are normally not the one who comes to me, Theron," the man stated, "Where is Radia? I did not sense her presence."

Theron's shoulders sagged as grief gnawed on his heart once again. It was an old grief but it still twisted a dagger in his heart.

"Radia was killed by the Coven mere months ago, Taric," he murmured, "All that was retrieved was her armor."

"...What a shame indeed..." the man, Taric, sighed, his face seeming much, much older than it looked, "she was a brilliant light in the midst of the darkness. But, if is a comfort to you, I sense a brighter light here with us today."

Theron froze, looking up sharply at the Knight of the Emerald Chapel. Taric was blind, but blessed with the ability to 'see' the qualities of souls. To say that there was a light brighter than that or Radia, who was known for her good and bright soul…

"What?" he demanded.

"Two actually," Taric stated, "though one is brighter than the other. Those two,"

He pointed in the direction of Leona and Pantheon, who were exploring the clearing.

"The red-haired girl and the black-haired boy," he finished, "I believe your Chosen one and their Beloved are among you, Theron."

* * *

The flora of the Elderwood was quite beautiful. Leona was in particular focused on an azure flower that looked as if it were made of spun glass or crystal. It was a delicate beauty that seemed to glow with an ethereal light. Entranced, she reached out to touch it, only for something to bound out of the bush behind the flower with a trilling sound. Leona shrieked, falling back on her rear with her hand pressed against her pounding heart, her golden eyes wild as she beheld…

She frowned, looking at the creature before her. It was medium sized, no taller than she, with horns seemingly made of bark and orange autumn leaves forming almost a 'beard' of sorts. Glowing blue eyes sparkled within the shadows of a hood atop a bulbous, balloon like body. The creature bent down, examining her curiously as it gave a few chiming and whistling tones.

"I see you have met Bard, our minstrel," came Taric's gentle voice as the Knight came close to Leona and a currently laughing Pantheon.

Leona shot her friend a glare, but his laughter didn't stop.

"Do not fret, he is harmless," Taric said, helping the young squire to her feet, "He probably thought you needed some cheering up and decided to do that."

"I do not feel cheery," came Leona's growl while Pantheon managed to get his laughter under control, though he still snickered.

"And that is why he is here," Taric said, "Bard feeds off of happiness. That is just how he is. If he sees someone sad, he goes out of his way to make them feel better,"

"By scaring us half to death," Leona snarked, "Oh yes, I feel  _so_  much better now,"

Bard gave a chiming call as he bounced to Leona's front arc, looking at her curiously.

"Begone Bard, and think no more of me!" Leona growled as she started off, not realizing that Bard skipped after her.

"Her light is sleeping," Taric mused before turning to Pantheon, "What troubles her?"

"She is still grieving," the young squire said, "Radia was her mentor and mother figure. She was mine as well, but Leona seems to be hit much harder by her loss."

"I see," Taric hummed, "Well, unfortunately or fortunately however you see it, until she manages to cheer up or you leave the Elderwood, she shall have a shadow in the form of Bard."

* * *

Leona pushed through the thick brush, trying to clear her head as she went. She did not need people to come and try and make her 'happy'. She was fine, but everyone seemed to think she was not. She just wanted to be left alone to grieve.

The young squire was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't exactly look at the landscape around her. She didn't see that the plush emerald forest suddenly got darker and thorns began to replace flowers. A sharp crack snapped her out of her stewing and she looked around, realizing that she had indeed gotten herself lost in a dreary part of the forest.

A sickeningly sweet feeling filled her stomach, almost seeming to pull out of her. It almost felt  _good_  in a way, but it had an underlying feeling of guilt and shame that she very much disliked. Golden sparks spat from her fingertips, though she paid that no mind, frantically looking around for she had felt this once before.

When the Coven had destroyed the village.

"My, my! What do we have here? A little lamb separated from her flock?"

Leona whirled around to see a woman in red, thorny vines wrapped around her waist while two bat like wings were neatly folded at her side. The taste of bitter magic was thick in the air, and it was coming from the woman. Leona unsheathed the small iron blade she had been given over the past years she had been a squire and set her feet.

"Get away from me,  _witch_ ," Leona hissed, her anger burning her heart and making her fingers tingle, not seeing the golden sparks that flashed from them.

"Oh what a fiery temper we have here," the woman huffed as her wings gave a small flap, "not too bright threatening someone more powerful than you, but you have such potential. I think I might play with you a little bit before I take you to the Lady."

"Not a chance!" Leona snapped as the woman came closer, "Stay back!"

"Or what?" the woman purred, "What will you do, little squire?"

Leona took a single step back. She could hear the screams of her village thundering in her ears, she could smell the scent of burnt skin and hair, the sky was reddened again while a black sun ringed in silver blazed in it…

Her sword hand burned harshly, like she was holding a red-hot poker. Leona yelped as she came back to the present, the sky was not red even though it wasn't visible, the only thing she could smell was the rot and sickly sweet magic that made her stomach turn.

"You're an odd one," the woman hummed, noting the golden sparks and the fact that the iron sword seemed to have turned a cherry red around the hilt.

The back of Leona's mind screamed at her to run, to get away and let Theron or one of the knights handle this. This was a witch. Not a training dummy, not another squire. This was someone who  _would_  kill her without a second thought. So she did. She turned on her heel and bolted, running back the way she came.

"Oh, you think you will get away that easy?" the woman laughed, flicking her hand and the thorns came to life with crackling black magic.

The vines twisted, entangling Leona's feet as the ground withered and died beneath her. The soles of her feet burned, sending agony shooting up the red-haired squire's legs and causing a scream to tear from her throat. The young squire couldn't move, rooted to the tainted soil. The witch came closer, a flame of scarlet light playing about her hands as her wings fully spread, revealing that she instead had six wings that resembled a horrid mish-mash of draconic and angel.

There was the sound of metal on metal as a brilliant green flash dove through the treetops and golden light blazed around Leona. The squire looked up as the chains faded and glowing, ethereal blades slammed into the ground around her, cutting the thorny vines and freeing the girl. The witch screamed and hurled her hands out, another viney coil reaching…only for it to burst into flames.

"Magic tricks?" a calm, strong female voice stated, " _Adorable_ ,"

"Why are you here?!" the witch snarled and Leona stared at her savior.

Long, flowing blonde hair tumbled down the emerald armored woman's shoulders, if one had put the witch into a lighter theme and turned that dark hair blonde…the two would have been identical. She also bore two golden scimitars that seemed to have been split in two from each other. But that wasn't what caught Leona's attention. It was the fact that woman  _was five feet above the ground_ and, like the witch, had six massive wings of pale gold feathers.

"To bring this one back to her flock," the blonde woman replied, "You know you are forbidden here. Let the child go and I shall not rain the justice you so deserve down upon thee."

The witch gave a spitting hiss, but folded her wings back against her side.

"You do not know what you have there, Kayle," she spat, "That one will bring ruin to your precious forest."

"We shall see, Morgana," the blonde woman, Kayle, stated, "Now begone! Else I burn thee and thy vines to ashes."

The witch, Morgana, lowered her hand and the vines recoiled from Kayle's light. Morgana gave a low growl, but did slink back into the deadwood. Kayle huffed, taking the two scimitars and putting them together to form a larger, golden blade with a small click. She turned to Leona.

"Come, Fledgling, let us get you back to your flock,"

"How did you find me?" Leona asked, still not loosening her grip on her sword.

"Bard," Kayle stated as her wings faded from gold to a light greenish color that shifted in the light and she lightly touched back down upon the ground, "He had been following you and saw you ran into Morgana. He came to us. I came to your rescue while my fellow Guardian, Hecarim, went back to Taric and informed him on the situation. They are waiting for your arrival. Why did you run this far, Fledgling?"

"I grew tired of Bard's antics and sought quiet," Leona admitted.

Kayle looked at her for a moment, her fire-bright golden eyes turning quizzical for a moment before she gave a hum.

"You are still grieving are you not?"

Leona looked at her in surprise.

"How did you know?" "

Your fire is not very bright, though I sense that it could be one that outshines the sun. Only great loss does that to the soul. Yours is surprisingly very pure save for the one dark heart. You seek revenge,"

"I seek justice for the one I lost,"

"Ah, we are not so different you and I," Kayle chuckled, "Even if you walk upon the soil whereas I was meant to fly. Be wary that that want for justice does not become revenge. There are spirits who would take you down that path, but you would not like where that leads."

She offered her hand to the young squire so as to pull her up off the ground.

"Come, Fledgling, let us return to the chapel."

Leona took Kayle's hand and the winged woman smiled before beating her wings once, twice and lifting off the ground, flying by Leona's side as the two made their way out of the desolate part of the Elderwood and to the Chapel. When they arrived at the massive clearing, Kayle shot upwards towards the treetops, alighting upon a branch and watching with a patient smile as Leona was mobbed by her fellow squires and knights.

"Are you alright," Theron demanded, his face was thunderous and Leona knew he was quite furious.

"I am fine, thanks to Kayle and to Bard." She replied, turning towards the Minstrel of the Elderwood, "Thank you, for if you had not been insistent on following me, I would not be here,"

The Minstrel gave a chiming call before bounding up to her and handing her one of the spun-crystal flowers she had been admiring earlier. The young woman gave a genuine smile, one that lit up her entire face as she took it.

"It is good to see you smile again, Leona," Pantheon said as he came up, leaning on his spear, "It has been a long while,"

She rolled her eyes, getting a chuckle from the other squire as Taric approached.

"Your light has come back it seems, young squire," the blind knight stated, "For that I am glad. Your mentor would be happy to see its return as well,"

Leona's smile fell slightly but she took a deep breath.

"I just wish to do her memory justice,"

"And I believe you will," Taric nodded, "Now, LeBlanc,"

He turned his sightless gaze to a strikingly beautiful sylvan woman with scarlet hair and multiple blooms woven within it.

"Please lead them to where they will be staying. It has been quite the eventful day,"

The sylvan woman smiled and nodded, tapping her staff against forest floor as a violet tinged copy of herself separated from her shadow.

"Ladies, please follow me," the red-haired LeBlanc started.

"And gentlemen, please follow me," the violet haired LeBlanc finished, "You all must be exhausted from your travels."

Without a word of disagreement, the knights and squires went their separate ways to their rooms in the green eaves of the great Emerald Chapel.


	8. Chapter 8

VIII

_The dripping of water on cold stone floor was infuriatingly loud. I tried closing my eyes to sleep, but the dripping was too bad. A sharp scrape of metal on stone caught my ear and I shot to my feet, reaching for a sword that no longer was at my side._

_The light shifted, showing an emaciated man on the floor, his knees held up to his chest as his head lolled back to face the ceiling. A strange feeling of recognition filled me and I came closer, looking at him. He opened his eyes, as if he heard me and turned to face me. His golden eyes locked onto me and the blood drained from his face._

_"Leona…" he whispered, reaching as my knees hit the ground in shock._

_"Father?" I breathed, reaching for him._

_His hands were so warm…he was there…he was_ alive _._

_"Father!" I cried, throwing myself into his arms, sobbing as he held me, gently stroking my back as I shook._

_The door to the cell opened and the man's eyes widened as he grabbed my shoulders and held me before him._

_"Do not give up, little one! Let your light stay lit! You are the bulwark after me. You_ cannot _fall!"_

"FATHER!" Leona yelled, shooting up and reaching before her, trying to grab at the fading shadows of the dream, "No…please…come back…"

Her hand lowered and she felt the hot tears stream down her face. Alone again. Her hand still stung. It'd been only yesterday when the mark appeared, but the pain still did not go away. Leona tried tending to the burn-like wound on her right hand, but it was still quite tender. She didn't know exactly how she had gotten it, just that she had.

She got up and wandered around the well-lit, sylvan themed room, a far cry from the small, cozy room back at the manor. Leona quietly got dressed and put her hand on the handle of the door, only for a faint knock to come from the smooth wooden portal.

Leona frowned and cracked open the door to see another denizen of the Elderwood outside of it. She was tall and slender, her skin was a lovely shade of pinkish peach while her long, emerald hair tumbled down her back to her waist in gentle waves. What looked like willow leaves wove themselves into a crown of sorts as she held a staff in her hand. But what caught Leona's attention was a long, spiral horn of alabaster that grew from her forehead.

"Greetings, Leona, my name is Soraka, I heard that you had been injured the previous day, I came to alleviate that pain,"

Leona blinked for a moment, and Soraka smiled.

"Taric sent me, he would have come himself, but unfortunately he is busy. I am the best healer the Elderwood has,"

The young squire sat down on the bed and Soraka came over, inspecting her wounded hand and frowning.

"Do you know how you got this?"

"No," Leona admitted, "I know it was right when the witch cornered me, but nothing more,"

"This is a particularly bad witch burn, young one," Soraka said, "Do you know how one gets those?"

Leona shook her head.

"it only happens when a person using magic, or having magic, comes into contact with iron. That is why your knights wear iron armor and bear iron weapons."

"I do not have magic," Leona protested, "Magic is evil!"

"Is what I am doing evil?" Soraka asked calmly as she pricked her finger with a small dagger, letting emerald blood well from the wound before putting her hand on Leona's, the witch burn healing over, "Magic itself is not evil, how one wields it determines if it is evil or not."

"Neither of my parents are witches,"

"I said nothing of the sort," Soraka said kindly, "But within the branches of your family tree there might have been someone blessed or cursed with it and it was passed down over time. The Coven has a nasty habit of drawing magic forth, no matter how small, and it always changes the person if they are using it constantly. Whether or not you like the notion, you do have magic,"

Leona's heart sank. She had magic. She had the same awful thing that destroyed her village and killed her family all those many years ago.

"Take it from me," Leona whispered, "Please…I do not want it. I do not want this curse. Please, take it from me,"

"I cannot do that," Soraka told her, "It would be as if I took your soul. There are things that could do that, but I am a dryad and we tree spirits do not cause harm,"

She gently squeezed the young woman's hand.

"Remember what I said, young one. Magic is not good nor is it evil. It is the person who wields it that decides that. Though I will say this. No matter what happens, the magic will change you should you choose to use it. For better or worse, physically or spiritually I do not know. Your brand of magic feels ancient. I have seen this magic very rarely, though I do not know the extent of what it does."

Soraka got up, smiling as she gave a bow.

"Now, I am afraid that my time with you is over. I do hope I get to see you again young one, should you ever return to the Elderwood, I will happily come and talk with you some more,"

And with that, the dryad vanished in a whirl of willow leaves that swept out the open window, leaving Leona to stare at her now completely healed hand in shock.

* * *

Leaving the Elderwood was always a somber experience. Seeing so much beauty, good, and wonder only to return to a world where evil still ran rampant always sobered the young squires. Theron looked back at the squires, but was surprised to see that Leona and Pantheon looked at ease if not a bit determined.

 _"Good."_  He thought,  _"They know what we are to protect and they'll do everything they can to do that."_

He had decided to take a short cut through a small forest to the south, it would take a few days off their journey as they wouldn't have to travel through that steep and small mountain path. It would save the horses from getting antsy every time the wolves howled on the mountain as well, and therefore less likely for someone to get thrown off a cliff because of a skiddish horse.

By the second day, they had reached the forest. The sun was starting to get low in the sky and Theron ordered the group to stop.

"We will camp here for the night," he said, "Josephine, Matthias, start setting up the tents and have the squires water the horses."

"You heard him!" Josephine said, grabbing Leona's shoulder and getting a rather ugly snarl from the squire, "take care of the horses!"

"Not you," Theron said, "Leona, Pantheon, you two are coming with me."

"Yes sir!" the two squires called, nudging their horses forwards while a smug grin crossed Leona's face while a dark scowl crossed Josephine's.

"I trust you aren't so helpless as to pitch your own tent, Josephine," Theron said, pointedly, "Noble born you may be, but I believe you will not fracture a nail without your squire's assistance."

Leona gave a short 'ha!' before quickly covering her mouth, her shoulders still shaking with laughter. Josephine shot her a dirty look, full of promises to make her miserable once she returned, but Leona did not care. That one moment of seeing that pompous prat knocked off her high horse brought  _great_  joy to the squire.

Theron raised an eyebrow at the squire's reaction, but Leona quickly wiped the amused look off her face and adopted a more serious one. He tilted his head towards the path, motioning them to follow him.

"Sir, what are we going to do?" Pantheon asked.

"The three of us are going on a scouting trip," Theron said, "Come. We must make sure the path is clear."

The two squires nodded, spurring their horses forwards, the sound of their hoof beats echoing throughout the quiet trees. Leona frowned at the stillness. Normally a forest would be full with life and sound, but there was nothing. Not even the insects chirped. Leona looked around the area, scanning to see what was wrong when the scent of blood caught her nose.

She pulled the reins, getting Llamrei to stop and wheeling her towards the scent. Pantheon noticed his friend going in a different direction and followed her, dismounting as Leona did and wandering through the underbrush. He followed her, only to stop as they entered into a clearing.

The clearing was completely  _covered_  in Witch's Blooms, the scarlet poppies edged in black carpeted the area, surrounding a pale figure lying on the ground. The stench of blood was strong here, getting stronger the closer they got to the body.

"Sir Theron!" Leona called, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"What is it, child?" Theron responded, coming into the clearing, though neither Pantheon nor Leona responded.

Annoyed, the knight walked past them towards the body. However, once he got close enough, his blood froze. The figure lying on the ground was and elderly female, what clothes she had were barely enough to cover her modesty as they seemed to have been shredded and clawed from her. Her long white hair spread out on the ground around her like a fan while her liver-spotted hands were secured to the ground with thick vines and shards of antler. Her legs had been broken, twisted in a grotesque angle, while a gaping hole was gouged into her chest, revealing a  _still beating heart_.

None of this shocked him as much as seeing the woman's face. The woman's face was covered in wrinkles and smile lines, however it was unmistakably hers. Theron stumbled to her side, tearing the roots off of her wrists and ankles and unfastening his cloak to wrap around her as tears streaked down his face.

"By all that is holy…" he whispered as the woman gave a pained groan and opened pale, icy blue eyes.

"…Th…Theron…?" she croaked, her voice paper thin.

"Oh  _Radia_ …what happened…"


	9. Chapter 9

IX

Theron held the emaciated Radia to his chest, laying a kiss on her snow-white hair. Her paper-thin skin was pulled taut over bones that seemed too sharp while her own hands shook and trembled from the strain of her own breathing.

"What  _happened_?" he repeated.

"Witches…" Radia breathed, "Grand En…Enchantress…"

" _Lissandra_  did this to you!?"

"…No…"

"Then wh-?"

"Sir Theron?" came Leona's voice, "Who is it? Is everything ok?"

Radia's weak grip suddenly became like iron as she grabbed Theron's hand, her icy eyes flaming with terror.

"Theron…you cannot tell her who did this to me," she hissed.

"What?"

"Her sister…is alive…" Radia gasped, "She must not know…it will kill her…"

"Her sister did this to you?"

"Lissandra…corrupted her…"

"Radia…"

" _Promise me Theron_!" she snarled.

Theron paused slightly, but he gave a sigh as he nodded.

"I promise," he told her, making Radia relax slightly, only to give a rasping cough as Leona and Pantheon's footsteps crunched through the blackened poppies surrounding the two knights.

A sharp breath came from over his shoulder and Theron saw a flash of scarlet as Leona dove forwards, her leather padded knees skidding on the slick petals of the flowers and crushing them, sending up a dusky scent that made Theron's head foggy.

"N-No…you…" Leona breathed, her hands shaking as she reached for the knight in Theron's arms, "Is it…"

Radia gave a shaky smile as her veined hand reached to cup the young squire's cheek.

"Little One," she breathed, as Leona grabbed the hand and burst into tears.

"Radia…you're alive," Leona cried, as her tears spilled over Radia's hand and her scarlet hair rippled with the sobs.

Pantheon's knees hit the ground next to Leona and Radia gave a pained smile as she reached for him as well. The other squire took it and gently pressed his lips to it in a chaste kiss, his own tears spilling over the leathery skin.

"You both…have grown so beautifully," Radia whispered, only to give a hissing sound as she curled up on herself.

"How are you still alive?" Pantheon breathed, looking at the horrific wounds his mother figure had acquired.

The bloody sheen over her internal organs caught the light and neither Leona nor Pantheon would admit it, but they both felt ill seeing that sight, as well as the slick white  _things_  that could only be bits and pieces of ribs that had been pulled through the gaping hole in her chest.

" _Odium Aeternum_ …" Radia groaned, a massive tremor wracking her frame.

"What is that?" Leona asked as Theron's face fell and he brushed a silvery hair away from Radia's face.

" _Odium Aeternum_  is a curse, Leona," Theron said slowly, "One that the Coven only reserves for the  _worst_  of criminals. Radia, you must have done something to infuriate the Grand Enchantress…"

"Tried to…take her acolyte." Radia explained, "She…was injured…I tried to help her…did not realize it…until she embraced me and I burned her…Lissandra was…furious,"

"We can fix this," Leona said, taking out a small silver vial of liquid, "Just…some of this yes?"

Theron shook his head.

"Leona, that's not how this works. I said this was a curse." he told her, " _Odium Aeternum_ is not the wounds. It is  _after_. When someone angers the Grand Enchantress or any member of the Coven, if it is serious enough the Grand Enchantress can deem it worthy of  _Odium Aeternum_. The spell is put on the recipient and at first, nothing happens. Then the recipient is tortured in an unbelievable fashion. As you can see with Radia…they were not kind."

"They…brought me to this point…" Radia whispered, "Left me here…"

"Those who have  _Odium Aeternum_  cast upon them do not die from their wounds even if it surely lethal," Theron explained, "They cannot die from their wounds, no animal will come near them save the flies and their maggots, causing the wounds to become septic, and yet…not even that will kill them. They are left out in the open, under the sky. Left with no food, no water, yet that will not kill them so they are always hungry always thirsting. Not even age will take them, they are in a sense immortal yet in unimaginable pain.  _Odium Aeternum._  Hate Eternal."

"There has to be something we can do to break it, is there not?" Pantheon demanded, holding Radia's hand as she gave a wracking cough.

"There is," Theron said.

"And?!" Leona demanded.

"You…will not like it…" Radia rasped.

"The only way to break  _Odium Aeternum_  is to kill the one who has it," Theron said, "And it can only be done by someone who is loved by the victim and who loves the victim back,"

"Any of us here," Pantheon murmured.

"Absolutely not!" Leona snarled, "There must be another way! There has to be! There…has…"

She started to shake as Radia's weak hand touched hers.

"I do not want to lose you," Leona whispered, "Not again,"

"It…is different this time…" Radia croaked, "Lissandra…knew…about Theron and…Pantheon…she worded the curse so that it…will not break from them,"

Her icy blue eyes met Leona's golden ones and it seemed like the very ice seeped into Leona's blood.

"She did not know…of you, Leona,"

"No." Leona breathed as she scrambled away, "NO! NO I WILL NOT! I…I…"

She shook as she looked at the deathless knight in Theron's arms.

"I cannot kill you…please do not make me…"

A tear ran down Radia's cheek.

"Leona, Little One," she whispered, "I cannot be healed…my youth is gone…would you have me in pain eternally or have peace?"

"I would have you…" Leona whispered, "Why can I not be selfish for once…no…"

She shook her head.

"Radia…please forgive me…"

"There is nothing to forgive Little One," Radia smiled weakly before turning to Pantheon, "My boy…I raised you as a mother would…I have…something I would give you,"

He frowned as she reached to the cord around her neck, tugging on it and snapping the string, handing the thick golden ring to the young man.

"I…was not a Foundling. I was the only child…of House Venture, a noble. I had no children…so I gift this…to you, Pantheon Atreus. I give you my name…my house…my lands…for you and your…descendants. I name you…Pantheon Atreus Venture."

She looked up at Theron as Pantheon took the ring and squeezed her hand, tears streaming.

"I…am sorry I could never give you what you wanted," she whispered, "You deserved…so much more than me. I could not…even have the courage to call you 'husband'. Please…take the ring you gave me…and give it to someone more worthy than I,"

Theron kissed her forehead.

"I told you once that I would stand by your side, even when we were old and grey," he told her, "I will stand by that. That ring was given to you by me and I will give it to no other. I have always loved you, Radia, and I always will. There will be no one else, that I have foreseen."

"You stubborn…idiotic man…" Radia chuckled before coughing heavily and turning to Leona.

The red-head shook her head violently.

"Please do not…" she whispered.

"Little One," Radia started.

"Do not do this," Leona begged, "For if you do, that means I must tell you goodbye. And I do not want to do that. Not again…"

Radia held out her hand and Leona grasped it, tears streaming as Radia smiled.

"My dear Little One," Radia whispered, "I give you a gift that is not much in ways of inheritance…for you would not take…gold nor jewels. Memory is what you wish…and having me beside you. To you, Leona…I give you my armor. It…should fit you. Theron, please…strip it off that idiotic statue they made of me…and give it to her. So she has something…to remember me by…please…"

"Radia…please do not do this," Leona begged, "Please do not…"

"I want to, Little One," Radia smiled faintly, "Because I know you…"

She brushed a tear from Leona's cheek.

"I will not tell you to not weep for me, Little One," she murmured, "For not all tears are evil. I am sorry I could not give you anything more…that you must do this…"

"Radia…"

"Please…Little One…I cannot move. I can barely talk…or see…end my misery, please…if you ever loved me…"

Leona shook as she looked at her beloved mentor, seeing the acceptance and yet so much pain reflected back at her. The red-haired squire gave a shuddering sigh, closing her eyes as tears streamed and she nodded. Radia gave a smile as Theron gently set her on the forest ground, kissing her gently upon the lips.

"Goodbye, my beloved Radia," he whispered as he stood.

Leona's shaking hands gripped the hilt of her sword as she drew it from its sheath. The iron blade gleamed darkly in the light as she held it in both hands, readying it. She gave a scream, her face twisted in a rage as she started to descend.

"No."

Leona stopped, just short of the still beating heart, holding Radia's gaze as the knight shook her head.

"Do not…kill me with hate, Leona," she hissed, "That is not…the last expression I wish to see…"

The trembling squire forced herself to give a smile, her tears offsetting the expression in a bittersweet mural.

"Goodbye…Radia…" Leona whispered as she plunged the blade down, sinking the sharp point into Radia's heart.

The knight gasped, her icy eyes widening as her chapped lips formed a slight 'o'. The blue orbs found Leona's golden ones and a gentle smile crossed her face.

"Thank…you…Little One," Radia breathed as her last breath sighed into the air.

Her head lolled on the flowers and Theron gently closed her eyes. Leona's knees hit the ground and she gave a scream of grief, Pantheon held her and she clung to him as if he were the only lifeline she had. Theron took off his cloak and wrapped Radia in it before picking her up and pressing his forehead to hers.

"Goodbye my love," he murmured as Pantheon helped Leona to her feet and held her close to him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place at the same time as chapters 8 and 9

X

Diana stared at the man in front of her. His pale white hair seemed to shine in the moonlight with almost blue hue. His eyes were worn, but they were the same blued gold that always puzzled her as a girl. However…his ever present smile was  _gone_. This man…there was no way that he was her father.

"You cannot be him," she whispered as the man struggled to his feet, the chains around his wrists and ankles clanking as he did.

He reached towards her, his fingers stopping mere inches from her cheek as his chains snapped taut.

"Diana…that…that cannot be you, can it?" he murmured, pulling his hands back and clenching his fists, "Oh what a  _wonderful_  jest you play, Lissandra! Your illusions have gotten much better. Taking the form of my little girl, how  _low_ even for you. Can you not even face me face to face anymore or is the sensation of your flesh burning too much for you now?!"

"I am not Lissandra," Diana protested, "If I were I would not be in another person's form when seeing someone for the first time!"

The man shot her a chilling glare and Diana drew herself up, her silver eyes flashing as she dug her nails into her palms. Those eyes made her uncomfortable, she'd only seen eyes like that once and that was when her father used to sing her to sleep. But the look of hatred in them banished any thought of them being her father's.

"My name is Diana Moon Blessed, Breaker of the Cycle, Twilight's Edge and Time's Keeper. I am  _not_  the Grand Enchantress!"

"You  _lie_ , little girl," the man hissed, "My Diana would not fall in company of the witches, she is far too smart for that. My little Moonbeam wouldn't fall prey to their charms."

"And you just proved you aren't my father," Diana sneered, turning back towards the door, "That was not his nickname for me,"

"…I called you Little Moon," the man whispered.

Diana's eyes widened slightly before shaking her head and putting a hand to the door.

"One thing before you leave," the man said slowly, "Lift your hair away from your neck. If you are my Little Moon…you'll have a birthmark."

Diana slowly lifted her pale blonde hair away from her neck, revealing a small reddish circle that had a ring of pale skin just after the outline, like the sun during an eclipse.

"…You  _are_  my little Moon," he whispered, "Diana…it's me!"

Diana released her hair, letting it ripple back over her neck and started to open the door. She had one foot out the door when she head the man start to sing softly.

_"Sweet child close your eyes._

_Just rest oh rest and let your pain be blown away._

_Oh no harm done, no pain shall come_

_sweet child oh do not be afraid of the dark._

_Slow and soft the night shall come._

_Slow and soft the moon shall rise._

_So just now close your little eyes_

_Sweet child close your eyes._

_And let your heartache wisp away_

_Oh no harm done, no pain shall come._

_For now place your worries aside._

_Sweet and warm the day shall break._

_Sweet and warm the sun shall rise._

_So just now rest your little eyes."_

Diana froze, her heart squeezing as she turned to face the chained man. He looked haggard still, but the hate and pain in his eyes was gone…and he gave a smile as she let go of the door.

"Father…" she breathed, starting forwards, her body warming as she got closer to him, "Father!"

She threw herself into his arms, sobbing as his arms wrapped around her, the heavy chains thumping against her back as she felt his tears soaking into her shoulder.

"My Little Moon," he whispered, "How did you get here…"

"It does not matter, you are ali-AH!" she flung herself backwards, shrieking in agony as angry red boils and burn marks sent steam and smoke from the front of her body.

The smell of burned cloth, singed hair and charred flesh filled the room and her father's golden blue eyes widened as he looked down at his hands and then at his youngest daughter.

"Oh heavens no…" he whispered as Diana scrambled about five feet away from him, tears streaming down her violently red and burned face.

"You…" she cried as he reached for her, making her flinch back.

"Diana… _how long have you been with the witches_ ," her father growled, it wasn't a question and his smile was  _gone_.

"Ten years," Diana whimpered as she held her hands to her chest, "They saved me…the village was destroyed…Mother…Leona…they are all dead."

"That cannot be true…who told you this? Who destroyed the village?" her father demanded.

Diana winced and held her arms closer to her, she was saved from answering by the door gliding open and the faint rustling of what seemed to be roots on stone.

"Diana, dear," came Lissandra's cool voice, "What are you doing in this place so late at night? You know you are not to wander around, you could get hurt,"

Her eyes, hidden by the ornate headdress of stag's antlers, narrowed as she saw the horrific burns upon her beloved apprentice's body. She turned towards Diana's father, the man's pale glow suddenly flamed brilliant blued-white. A halo of silver-blue moonlight blazed around his white hair, spitting sparks of periwinkle and lavender and teal to the cracked floor, throwing eerie shadows along the wall. He gave an almost  _feral_  snarl as he yanked against his chains, straining as his fingers came just out of reach from Lissandra's neck.

" _Witch_!" he snarled, "What have you done to her?!"

Lissandra's pale lips quirked in a smirk as she stepped into the aura of the pale fire that flared and flashed around him.

"My dear Phoebus Aurelion, I have done  _nothing_  to her! Have you forgotten what it is you do to my kind? I have done  _nothing_. This, those burns, those scorch marks…those are all your fault,"

"L-Lady Lissandra…" Diana stammered, "Why did my father burn me?"

The smile faded somewhat as Lissandra turned to Diana.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Why did he-"

"No no, child," Lissandra whispered, "Did you say he was your  _father_?"

Diana nodded painfully. Lissandra waved her hand and the burns disappeared from the young girl. She turned towards the man, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Your father was captured by the Order of the Eclipse a long time ago, we managed to bring him here, but their curse burns our Coven should we get too close or touch them," she told Diana, not looking at her, but rather at the chained man, "He is still recovering and still under their influence, I would not believe much of what he says as he is very,  _very_  sick. You may come see him as much as you like, but it is late. Go to bed,"

Diana nodded, getting to her feet and looking at her father one last time before slipping out the door.

"Curious," Lissandra hummed, "I thought that the Chosen of the Eclipse had no children. At least, that is what you led us to believe, didn't you?"

Phoebus snarled, straining at his chains.

"Was it because you believed we would stay away from such powerful witch children? The daughters of the Chosen one and his traitor Beloved?"

"You leave my Ana out of this," Phoebus snarled, "You are not fit to speak of her!"

"My how she screamed when she died," Lissandra purred, "Fret not, dear Phoebus, I made sure it was excruciating,"

Phoebus roared, straining at the chains as he reached for her.

"When I get out of here  _witch_  I will break  _every bone in your frail little body_!" he howled.

"Shame really, Diana is becoming  _quite_  the young enchantress. Much better than any of your precious Ana's bloodline ever were."

"Let her go, Lissandra!"

"No, I do not think I will,"

Phoebus snarled.

"Then why do you not just  _kill me_?" Phoebus demanded, "You have Diana and Diana said her sister perished in the village. You have the next Chosen of the Eclipse in your possession you…"

He froze.

His golden blue eyes widened and a bloodied smile cracked his weathered and battered face. He started laughing, blood spitting through his teeth as he fell to his knees and the chains struck the floor with a resounding clank.

"She is alive! Hahahahaha! You did not kill Leona did you!? She  _lives_! HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU CANNOT KILL ME BECAUSE THE LEGACY ALWAYS GOES TO THE ELDEST! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Phoebus continued to laugh, his cackling sounding almost unhinged as he hit his head against the wall.

"Take that  _witch_! You have  _failed_! HOW DOES IT FEEL LISSANDRA!"

Faster than he could see, Lissandra moved and he felt cold fingers clamp onto his chin, bloodless and almost corpse-like. He could smell the burning of her flesh and watched as the Grand Enchantress' face blistered and cracked open from the aura he emitted.

"I do not fail, Phoebus," she purred, leaning in close and bearing her teeth in a smile, "Plans within plans,"

* * *

Phoebus sniffed the blanket they gave him warily. It still stank of magic and poison and knowing Lissandra would probably cause him excruciating pain if he wrapped it around him. He tossed it to the side, such a luxurious  _gift_  was too much for him. They had given him a bed. All of one piece of wood of course so he wouldn't break a piece off and beat them to death with it. Took them nearly twelve years but they gave him one. He went back to scratching at the stones and engraving some markings within the cold grey stones.

The doorknob rattled and Phoebus looked up just in time to see Diana slowly make her way into the room holding a plate and what seemed to be a jug of water. That was another thing. They barely fed him or gave him water before Diana found him. Lissandra knew that Diana would have a fit if it got out that Phoebus was starving. So, very slowly, he was getting his strength back.

"I brought you some dinner," Diana started, coming into the room.

He noticed she was skirting the very edge of his aura, knowing where it was now that she had gotten slight burns from being close. She sat the plate down in the farthest corner before making her way towards the other one. It pained Phoebus' heart to see that the Coven had corrupted her that badly that just being in proximity of him caused her to burn. He nodded his thanks and got up off the ground, walking to the corner and picking up the plate and pitcher.

"What poor animal did Lissandra torture to give me this," he started, giving a wry smile as his golden eyes flickered.

Diana rolled her eyes.

"It is just venison. I got it myself and cooked it for you. Those grapes I have been growing myself as well,"

"You went hunting?"

Diana nodded, her silver eyes lighting up as a smile bloomed across her fair skin.

"I am not too bad at it it seems," she chuckled, "I am quiet and quick, I made sure it was not in pain,"

"I wish I could have been the one to teach you," Phoebus sighed, "But as you can see…I have been delayed in coming home,"

They fell silent, Phoebus picking at the meal and Diana looking around the cell. Her eyes caught on one of the markings in the stone and she frowned.

"Are those runes?" she asked.

Phoebus looked up at her, impressment in his amber eyes.

"Not magic, at least, I do not think so," he reassured her, "It is just an old language I knew and learned. I received a shield when I was a soldier, I was taught what they said."

"And those are?"

"Umiya tasori iya, arimi setori kora iya. Amosta maseme rita, inoli taya istoriya. Adala isori iya, mariyi mado isora iya, Amosta maseme rita, inoli taya istoriya," Phoebus translated, "In the quiet night, my light will shine always. Go forth into the darklight, for I shall protect thee. In the brilliant day, my light will burn always. Go forth into the darklight, for I shall protect thee."

"Good runes for a shield," Diana said, "Was that the shield you brought home once? The blue one?"

"I always carried it with me," Phoebus nodded, "You were so little, but you were more interested in my sword. Your sister was more interested in the shield. I told your mother jokingly that you two would fight over which one you got when you were older. She hit me with a wooden spoon."

Diana chuckled before her eyes turned sad.

"I wish Leona were here," she murmured.

"…Not here," Phoebus growled, "She would not like the dankness and darkness of this place. You know her,"

"She always was afraid of the dark."

"Not of the dark, but of the evil that it could bring," Phoebus corrected, "Diana she is like me. She does not like the way magic feels. It is strange and it makes you…feel…things. Things that a young girl like yourself should never feel,"

Diana's silver eyes turned icy and Phoebus ignored the angry glare, opting to drink out of the pitcher calmly before sitting it back on the ground.

"They would do to her exactly what they did to me,"

"You are not well," Diana countered.

"Yes and chaining a sick person to the cold stone floor is wh-" he stopped, sighing as he got up and placed the plate and pitcher, both empty, on the floor and sat back down in his spot. "Diana, I will not lie to you. It does not matter what I say to you because all it is in your eyes in ears is the ravings of a madman ravaged by some disease of the mind. You will never believe me. However, seeing you again, growing into a beautiful woman, made me happy. Bittersweet happiness, but happiness indeed is what I have."

"Why is it bittersweet?" Diana asked as she got the plate and pitcher.

"I will not lie. If I was able to do so, Little Moon, I would strike you down where you stand. Just so neither I, nor your mother, would have to see one of our daughters fall into the claws of the Coven."

Diana's lips thinned as she bit them, tears forming.

"You are just saying that because you are sick," she whispered, more to reassure herself than to reassure him, "You do not mean that,"

And she left before he could tell her anything else.

He shook his head and dug at the mattress, pulling out the paper and charcoal Diana had snuck him, and started to write on it. He finished some time later. He wasn't sure how long he had been writing, but the sun had set for sure as the once pale, off-white gold of his hair had turned to a silvery white tinged with a blue light. He scratched at his beard, smirking as he saw the pale sparks of white-blue out of the corner of his vision. It always amused him that it was not just his hair on his head that changed with the time, but everywhere else as well.

He folded the paper and stuck it into his shirt. He'd give it Diana when she came back in the morning. Phoebus got off the floor and sat down on the bed, sinking slightly down into the slightly softer mattress. He was just about ready to lay down when the door opened again. Phoebus looked up with some confusion on his face, though reading the visitor's facial expression said quite a bit of what they wanted.

"I will warn you," he warned, "If you go through with this, you will not like what happens next,"

* * *

A scream of anger and grief woke the whole of the Coven's fortress. Lissandra glided down the hall, followed by one of her more ambitious and gifted students. A young witch who used her own magic to get her ability to walk back in the form of legs crafted from enchanted obsidian and gold sharpened to deadly blades. Other than the heartnumbing wails, the only sounds in the grey morning were the whisper of the tendrils of roots that sped Lissandra around and the faint ticking from the obsidian points of her student's legs on the stone floor.

"What possibly could have caused her to wake us up this early," the student asked.

"Something disturbing, Camille," Lissandra stated, not paying the elder student much mind as she reached the prison block and waved her hand, causing the door to open.

What met her gaze made her blood freeze and simultaneously burn in anger.

Scarlet runes that flamed and flared with golden light as if carrying the light of a dying sun within them burned on the walls with an anger that Lissandra had not seen before. All of them repeating the same mantra.

_Umiya tasori iya, arimi setori kora iya_ _. Amosta maseme rita, inoli taya istoriya. Adala isori iya, mariyi mado isora iya. Amosta maseme rita, inoli taya istoriya._

Diana knelt on the ground, covered in scarlet blood as she held the now scarlet haired prisoner, Phoebus Aurelion, her father, in her arms. His golden eyes were open and staring, no life within them. His arms had been slit from the wrists all the way to the crook of his elbows, his shirt had been torn open as a long, ugly gash ran from his sternum to below his navel, and to top it all off, his throat had been torn open, though that seemed to be the last wound inflicted.

Camille delicately walked into the room, her violet-crimson eyes looked around the room and she gingerly touched one of the runes with the tip of her leg. The rune spat crimson sparks and the smell of blood caught her nose. She looked back at the grieving witch and the dead man, smelling a faint lavender perfume as well as a stronger smell that made her nose wrinkle slightly.

"Silencing spell," Camille told Lissandra, "Whoever did this silenced him so he would not scream. I…also smell a stronger magic. Not his, but I believe whoever killed him took advantage of him being silenced and stole a fair amount of magic from him before killing him,"

She started towards Diana, only to get shoved back onto the floor by a powerful blast of magic. Diana's silver eyes were nearly glowing white as a low, threatening snarl slipped through her teeth.

"Diana," Lissandra soothed, putting her hands on the trembling witch.

Diana gave a shuddering cry and whipped around, grabbing Lissandra's gown and smearing the white fabric with scarlet blood as she sobbed. Camille took that distraction and came closer to Phoebus' body, looking over it and her eyes narrowed as she saw bruises and scratches over his bared back as well as what seemed to be teeth marks on his neck. Blood crusted his fingernails where he had tried to fight back, but due to his injuries was unable to. Camille looked up at Lissandra, nodding and confirming what she had thought.

"We do have one consolation in finding who did this," Camille said, "He had the foresight to curse the room. Whoever killed him will have these runes upon them."

They looked at each other. Likely this would have been Phoebus' revenge on Lissandra when the time came to kill him. So as to discredit her and break the hold she had on Diana. Lissandra looked at Camille.

"Find them. Bring them to me."

Camille gave a sweeping bow and sauntered off through the doorway.

* * *

Lissandra was unsure of how long Camille had been gone, the sobbing and grieving Diana had let go of Lissandra's gown and went back to cradling her dead father. How strange it was, that the magic of the Eclipse had drained his hair blond-white only for it to become colored upon his death. She wondered how it would affect Diana, whose hair was already a silvery blonde. For that though…she would need to take  _care_  of Leona, who was currently in the Order's care.

She always kicked herself for leaving the other girl. But Leona had unexpectedly ran back inside the village when Lissandra leveled it. She was still deep in her thoughts when a faint ticking caught her ear. Lissandra turned towards the door just to see Camille standing in it, holding a young witch not much older than Diana tightly. The young witch was simple looking, brown hair, dark eyes…but that wasn't what made Lissandra's eyes narrow. It was the angry scarlet runes that  _covered_  the woman's body, as if branded there.

"You killed Phoebus Aurelion," Lissandra said, "For what gain? Power? My dear Edel, you have no idea what you have done,"

Edel looked confused.

"You…killed…him?" came a hoarse, whisper.

A slow smile played along Lissandra's face as she stepped aside to reveal the grieving witch.

"You… _killed_  my father?" Diana breathed, her silver eyes alighting on Edel.

Lissandra grabbed the young witch's shoulder and breathed into her ear.

"You threw a wrench into all the planning I had, child. I will have to push up the date of its execution. I am not pleased."

"My Lady…" Edel breathed, "I…"

"Oh, no no no, dear child. Do not fear, I will not kill you," Lissandra purred, laying a gentle kiss upon her forehead.

Edel gave a sigh of relief as Lissandra slipped behind the girl, squeezing her shoulders gently and lowering her head so that it was just next to her ear.

" _She_  will," Lissandra smiled as she shoved Edel into the room with Diana and closed the door, an amused smile playing upon her face as Edel's frantic pounding sounded on the wooden portal.

A scream of rage came from the door and both Camille and Lissandra staggered from the sudden blast of magic. Camille dropped to a knee, breathing heavily as tremors wracked her lean frame. Lissandra gasped as a shiver of ecstasy ran down her spine. It felt like Diana was pulling all the magic in the area into herself to fuel her ever growing power. Edel's screams of panic rose higher and higher while Diana's roar of rage drowned it out. The door shuddered as something repeatedly slammed against it. The pressure lifted off the door and the sound of flesh hitting the floor caught Lissandra's ear.

"You… _took him from me_!" Diana screamed, "His time,  _my time_!  ** _I WANT IT BACK!"_**

The feeling of her magic being pulled from her came to Lissandra again and the Grand Enchantress decided that was enough. She opened the door just to see Diana pinning Edel to the wall by the throat with one hand. Power radiated from her in a visible silver-white aura. Her white hair blew about her as if in a gale, her eyes had turned to pure silver, no pupils could be seen. Her face was spattered and smeared with blood while Edel was barely recognizable. Lissandra noticed that the pinned girl was slowly aging, her hands already resembled that of an old crone's while her once brown hair was snow white and was falling out in clumps the longer Diana had her hands on her.

Edel weakly tried to grab Diana's arm, but the other witch simply slammed it to the wall with her free one, breaking the brittle bones with a sickening snap and making Edel howl. Lissandra watched as Edel's body seemed to fail, blackening and crumbling into dust while her mouth was open in a silent scream. The power Diana emitted in her rage was…breathtaking.

 ** _"You took everything from me,"_**  Diana hissed, baring what seemed to be fangs at the dying witch,  ** _"Do you know how that feels, Edel? Do you know how it feels to have your only family_ ripped _from you?"_**

She plunged her hand through Edel's chest and pulled something out, watching as blackened veins spread across the weakly beating heart and as it calcified. She crushed it in her hands, her silver eyes not blinking as she stared at Edel.

**_"It felt like_ that _."_**

With that, she seemed to pulse, Edel's form seemingly turning grey and then then crumbling into dust. Diana's shaking form turned to Lissandra and the Grand Enchantress put her hands on Diana's shoulders.

"Release it," she told the girl, "Let go of your magic, you do not need it right now,"

The girl's appearance faded back to normal and she shook her head before staring at the pale, silver star-like mark upon her palm that had not been there before. Diana had nearly snapped, something Lissandra did not want for her. Not yet anyways.

"You must be careful," Lissandra warned, "Your powers are strong, but use too much of them and you will burn yourself to ashes,"

Diana nodded, looking at the pale spiderwebbing mark upon her palm. Despite her leader's warnings, using her powers…felt  _good_. It gave a tingling feeling that rushed through her in an ecstasy that made her want to do it again and again and let  _more_  go.

Surely her limit had to be greater than the others. Of all the initiates, her power was greatest. Lissandra herself had said so. So, what harm was there in pushing herself? If she was not anywhere near her limit, she would be fine.

Lissandra gently brushed a silvery-blonde strand of hair away from Diana's face and gave a sad smile.

"I will let you grieve a while longer," Lissandra told her, "We will bury him, I promise,"

She turned to Camille as she walked out the door and left Diana alone.

"Gather the able bodied witches…and attack the Manor tomorrow morning," she ordered, "Bring the sword and shield and kill the red-haired girl named Leona. She must not live."

* * *

Diana sat down on her bed a few hours later and held the note in her hand. She had found it in the pocket of her father's shirt, though she hadn't had the chance to read it. She opened up the folded parchment and read the note upon it.

_My Little Moon,_

_You have grown up beautiful, just like I always hoped you would. I do not know how much time we have together still, but I have enjoyed every second of it. I wish I was able to hold you close again, though that cannot be any longer as you are what you are and I am what I am. But regardless of that, I will always love you. I always have and I always well. My last words to you, wonder of my world._

_Lyrr viva tou conquieta_ _. Aeterrno amora._

_-Papa_


	11. Chapter 11

XI

It had been two weeks since the party of squires and knights returned from the Elderwood with the body of Radia. The members of the Order persistently asked what had happened to the deceased knight, but Theron, Pantheon nor Leona were willing to talk. All anyone knew is that the Coven had killed her. Her funeral was the next day, held within the chapel has it had been the first time. Leona had come every day to the chapel, ignoring the humming and singing sound that reverberated through her skull, just to be and talk with Radia.

The humming was louder today.

Leona knelt in front of the newly made statue of her mentor, now  _properly_  made. Traditionally, statues of the fallen were created the ashes of the fallen knight mixed in with the liquid stone and poured into a mold. Her armor scraped against the stone as she shifted her weight, causing her to wince slightly as the sound nearly overpowered the humming.

"Forgive me," she murmured, "I am still getting used to your gift,"

The statue was silent, the pale marble eyes staring straight past Leona and to the horizon. She did not look how Leona had seen her last. Rather than old and broken, the statue of Radia Ophelia Venture looked tall and proud, her long hair rippling in waves down her shoulders to the mid of her back while her heart shaped face held just the hint of a smile.

The statue was different than the others that lined the walls of the cathedral. They all bore white forms sheathed in iron armor, Radia's was sheathed in gold as her armor now graced Leona's form. Her battle axe was clasped in the firm marble hands, nevermore to taste the blood of the wicked Coven.

"Why did you have to go…" Leona whispered, her lips trembling as tears formed in her eyes, "Why…why could you not have stayed here. Stayed home…"

She heard the door open behind her and the sound of boots on the polished granite of the floor caught her attention. A gloved hand sat itself on her shoulder and Leona looked up, expecting to see Pantheon, but was surprised to see Theron.

The older knight looked even more haggard and worn out than usual. His dark black hair had always seemed streaked with iron grey especially throughout his short beard, but today it seemed as if more of the iron had gone through the night black locks. His warm green eyes were full of sorrow and there seemed to be more wrinkles than normal.

"She would be so proud to see you wearing her armor," Theron told her, a slight smile creasing his face, "You were like the daughter she never had, she loved you dearly."

"Too dearly," Leona murmured, looking up at the statue, "There are times I wish she had not saved me…that I had just stayed with my sister. That way she would not have had to give up her life like this,"

"You would not have been in her life if that were the case and Radia would have continued to exist in an undying agony," he said, "Unable to heal but unable to die. A true Hell."

Leona closed her eyes, doing her best to block out the humming and focus on the knight before her.

"I wish it could have been someone else,"

"Come now," Theron started, forcing her to look at him as a firm look crossed his face, "The fact she gave you her armor says much about you, Leona. When a knight dies, their armor becomes part of their remnant. Radia is the first knight in a long tradition of knights to give her armor to someone else once she passed. She loved you dearly. To wish that she had saved someone else or loved someone else is a smack to her face. Now, stand tall and stand proud. She would not have wanted you to behave like this. You know this. I believe we went over this many,  _many_  months ago,"

Leona gave a sad smile as she got off her knees, her metal shod feet making soft clicking sounds on the polished stone. She gave a last look at Radia's memorial and pressed a hand to her mouth before reaching for the statue's cheek.

"Thank you for listening to me again, Radia," she smiled sadly, "I will be back again tomorrow,"

Theron watched as Leona headed out the chapel. The girl was a strange one. Pantheon had come to the chapel a few times since they had brought Radia's body back to the manor, but Leona had come every day. Asking for guidance and just to talk at Radia as if she were still here. Theron had to shoo the priest away many times because the man had thought it was unhealthy.

The older knight knew it was just a coping mechanism and told the priest to let Leona grieve in her own way. That it was better she just talked to the statue and kept her calm than hiding away for months on end like the last time.

The wound had been torn open after it had begun to jaggedly heal…however, this time Theron was sure that her healing was going to go much smoother.

* * *

The moon shone overhead, a thin silver crescent waning away into nothing. Camille's red-violet eyes shone in the light, accenting her already inhuman look. She lifted her right leg and stabbed the bladed appendage into the trunk of a tree, taking a whetstone from a pocket and sharpening the already keen edge. The faint hissing, crackling noise the stone made as it came in contact with the enchanted stone always sent a shiver down her spine. She gave a smile as she sharpened the blade to perfection, taking the blade from the tree trunk and leaving behind a scorched marking upon the ancient wood.

She took a few steps past the edge of her encampment, looking at the tall, stately castle that the Order dubbed "The Manor". The stench of the Order's own protective spells coated her tongue with a bitter film, but it was familiar to her. This wasn't the first time she had gone against the Order and she knew it would not be the last. Her blades were specifically enchanted to cut through the iron armor and the flesh and bone of those who went against her.

However, Camille hated fighting despite being outfitted for it. She much preferred gathering intelligence and stealthing through areas to retrieve what she was asked. No one  _dared_  to call her a mere thief or spy. No no no, such words ended with the speaker being eviscerated. Camille was an assassin, and only those worthy of her talents were able to see them. The price for such abilities was a high one, and not many were willing to pay that price.

Camille knew what and  _who_  she was after. However, based on what she had seen the previous day, there was a slight problem. There were at least four red-haired women in the manor. The one called "Leona", the one that Lissandra wanted killed, could be any of the four. None of the witches she had brought were able to get close to the Manor, it was too risky to do so. No matter. She would just have to kill all four red-haired women and then reclaim the sword and shield.

She looked at the amulet at her breast, the violet crystal glowing in time with her heartbeat, ever steady. It made her immune to iron for a short while, so carrying the Chosen's weapons, the Shield of Daybreak and the Zenith Blade, would not burn her…provided she could return to the fortress in time.

Camille sauntered back towards the encampment, her blades making slight whispering noises in the earth as she came back into the enchanted witchlights burning in the camp. Two hundred eyes looked up at her, gleaming in the light like so many creatures of the night.

"My fellows," Camille purred, raising her hands so as to be seen, "The Stag Lord and the Ram Lord have blessed us with this night and with these numbers. Down there, in that little valley of theirs, lies our hated enemy and our goal. Within those stone walls lies a treasure that our Lady wishes to reclaim as ours, to give to its rightful owner. For many years, the Chosen of the Eclipse has been in  _their_  possession. My dear fellows, that will change tonight. The daughter of Phoebus Aurelion is in our grasp, for the first time the Chosen of the Eclipse will be  _ours_! Tonight, our gods will be appeased. But tomorrow, we will take this land forever! In that knowledge, they shall despair...and die!"

The screams of elation and howls from the witches rose from the forest, scattering ravens in a spray of midnight on sable as they winged into the sky. Camille lowered her hands, smiling.

"Saddle up, most treasured of the Stag. Mount up, most loved of the Ram. Tonight…tonight we take back what is rightfully  _ours_!" she smiled.

* * *

The bells rang that night. Leona was just getting ready to take off her armor after a long day of training, though she knew from experience that whenever they rang it was  _not_  a good sign.

She grabbed her blade and bolted out of her room, her footsteps thundering down upon the stones with loud clangs. She caught glimpses of Caretakers and Foundlings cowering and scurrying for cover, but she could not afford to stop and talk to them, she needed to get to Sir Theron.

Leona burst through the main doors and had to backpedal as a flaming pile of wood crashed down before her eyes. She shielded her face, still holding her sword, as the flames died down low enough for her to see Sir Theron ordering Knights and Squires left and right, some carried buckets to extinguish the fires, some were fortifying the  _gaping hole in the side of the Manor's wall_.

The young knight took a few steps backwards, steeling herself, and rushed forwards, leaping over the burning debris and running across the yard, taking a few awkward steps to get her stride back under her.

"Sir Theron!" she cried, coming up to him, "What happened?!"

"The Coven," Theron told her, "We are splitting up the knights and squires in duties to watch the Foundlings, stop the fires and fortify the wall. Leona, I know you wish to hunt witches and y-"

"Where do you need me," Leona stopped him, "Sir Theron, you know where I would like to be. But that is not important.  _Where_  do you  _need_  me."

"You are so much like her it is frightening," Theron smiled before it fell as a blaze of fire shot over their heads and smashed into the stone walls, sending a shower of mortar and rubble raining down, "I need you to get the Foundlings and Caretakers to the Cathedral. I am sending a squad of squires that way. They are not as experienced in battle, but I need to have someone who has been experienced to go with them, Leona. The knights are helping stem the tide here along with some of the older squires. I need you to do this for me,"

"Yes sir!" Leona nodded, putting her fist to her heart in salute, her gauntlet clanking against her breastplate as she took off, leaping through the flames again as she rushed to the chapel.

Theron gave a nod and reaffirmed his grip on his weapon, seeing Pantheon taking a stand with the other spear wielding knights at the gate, his own spear laying over his shield while his amber eyes seemed to glow scarlet in the hellish flames. Theron nodded once more and turned to the knights putting out the fires.

"HURRY IT UP!" he roared, "I WANT THOSE FIRES OUT YESTERD-!"

He was cut off as the front gate exploded off its hinges, knocking everyone off their feet with the surge of magic that swelled from it.

* * *

Pantheon groaned, getting up to his feet. His ears rang and his head was killing him, stars threatened to fill his vision and fatigue threatened to drag him under the cool embrace of oblivion. He felt something drip down his temple and into his mouth, he could taste the chalky dust as well as the metal of his own blood.

But to his feet he stood, bringing his spear and shield to bear. None of his fellows had gotten up, he heard a few of the groaning, so he knew at least a few of them were alive. He turned his gaze back to the gate. No one was going to get over that drawbridge as long as he had a say in it.

The smoke swirled and stung his eyes, causing them to water as a figure solidified in the roiling grey. Tall, much taller than a normal man would be, with curled horns that seemed to grow from it's head, catching the firelight and making them look as if they were coated in blood. It was obviously female if that beautifully curved structure was anything to go by, a long slender neck accompanied by slim shoulders, a well-rounded chest, slender waist and hips that flared out in an almost inhumanly seductive way as she strode forwards on impossibly slender legs, a faint ticking and scraping noise accompanying each step.

"Do you believe in Hell, young squire?" the figure asked, her voice soft, low, and yet commanding attention all the same, "Surely a world like this, painted over with the blood of many, Knight, Squire, Witch, Man, Woman, and Child…can it be anything but?"

"I do not believe the words of witches," Pantheon snarled, setting his feet, "Least of all one who caused the deaths of my comrades,"

"My you have grown," the witch scoffed, "Years ago you would have abandoned them. Just like you did your friends, your family, your village. You have no courage young knight and you know this,"

He tightened his grip on his spear and she laughed.

"Oh, you do not remember me, do you?" she asked, "I am saddened by that, Atreus. I knew you on sight, we were such good friends."

"I have no friends amongst your ranks,  _witch_. I do not associate with your kind, I would not know you,"

"But you do," she insisted as the smoke cleared away from her, revealing her face for the first time.

Pantheon nearly dropped his spear in shock.

"…Camille?"

* * *

Leona rushed into the main atrium of the Manor, seeing a squad of five squires in front of her.

 _"These must be the ones Sir Theron told me about,"_  she thought,  _"They cannot be more than thirteen…"_

"I am Leona," she told them, "Third year squire. Sir Theron sent me, you are to be taking the Foundlings and Caretakers to the chapel?"

"Yes," a stocky young woman with blonde hair and storm-colored eyes nodded, her pale skin flushed red from the fire, "You have the most experience here, what do you need us to do?"

"Go throughout the Manor," Leona ordered, "Gather every Foundling you can find and escort them to the Chapel. We number six, so we can split ourselves evenly. Once all the Foundlings are in the chapel, three of you will stand guard outside the chapel doors. The other two will be with me. If we fall, there is nothing to protect the Foundlings."

"Why are you inside?" a young man with dark hair and eyes and a long scar across his nose demanded, "Hiding like a coward?"

"If I am outside and they find and kill me, what is to keep you from dying as well." Leona growled, "Believe me, I wish I had more to protect our little ones. This is merely a precaution. They will not find us there. They will not get past the knights. Now, move."

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by one of the other boys and pulled down the hall, followed by the two girls. Leona gave a nod and went down the opposing hall, searching for stragglers.

The first door she opened, she spied a little boy huddled in a corner crying. His chubby little face was beet red and stained with tears and snot that dripped down his nose. Leona came to him, kneeling down beside him.

"Come," she crooned, "T'is not safe here, I will bring you somewhere safe. My name is Leona, and yours?"

"…A-Aedyn…" the boy sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve as he blinked his hollowed turquois eyes, "I-I am sorry…I-I…s-should not c-cry…"

"It is fine," Leona said, picking him up and smoothing his curly blond hair, "You are safe now. We are going now."

She started back out the room, running down the hallway with the boy clutched to her chest. She'd made it into the main atrium when the windows shattered. Leona ducked into a narrow alcove, pressing herself against the stone, her heart pounding in her chest.

"What a waste of stone and wood," a voice scoffed, not one Leona recognized.

She felt a pulling sensation in her core, a sickly sweet and guilty feeling arose in her, causing sparks to spit from her fingertips. She bit down a yelp as the iron armor warmed against her skin. Leona put a finger against her lips, looking at the child as she held him close. Aedyn nodded and buried his head in her chest, shaking as the witches stalked through the hall.

"We are not here to look at the architecture," a second voice chastised, "We are here to destroy the Order and potentially get some new little souls to our cause. I hear the Order takes the dregs of what we leave behind in those villages,"

"We will only take the ones with magic, yes?"

"Of course!"

"What of the others?"

"Well, sacrifices to the gods for this victory will be in order, will they not?"

Aedyn bit down a whimper and Leona's rage flared as the voices went down the opposite hall.

"They are gone," Leona whispered, "Come, I will not let them harm you, I promise. They shall have to go through me to do so,"

Aedyn nodded and Leona quickly and quietly bolted towards the chapel. She spied the squires already waiting outside for her.

"Everyone is inside!" the blonde girl smiled, "We made sure everyone was safe."

"Good," Leona nodded, "I will have to amend my previous statement. Two witches have entered the manor. I do not know if they will come here, but they are looking for people. I may need more of you to stand guard outside. I need to tend to the wounded if there are any,"

"We will stay outside," the blonde girl replied, "Tyriel, you are going to go with her inside,"

"Me!?" the boy who had voiced his opinion against Leona demanded, "Why me?!"

"Because you are a coward and were wanting to be in there anyways," one of the other boys told him, "Annis, Cira, Conor, you are with me outside,"

"Yes, Verian," the other girl nodded, "Do not worry, we will make sure they do not come in. They will have to kill us to get in."

"Let us hope it will not come to that," Leona told them, "Tyriel, come. We have to take care of the wounded."

* * *

"…Camille?" Pantheon breathed, looking at the witch before him, "No…you died. I  _saw you die_!"

"Did you? Did you  _really_?" Camille sneered, "You saw me, pinned under those beams, my own home collapsed upon me. You saw me, burned your little hands upon the cinders, but you  _left_. You left me to  _die_  Atreus. Your best friend, your protector. Who was there to protect  _me_?"

"I was but three winters!" Pantheon protested, "You could not expect me to have lifted those beams!"

"I expected you to not let me die alone!" Camille snapped, "You.  _Left_."

"I went to find help!" the young squire yelled back, taking a step backwards, "I found Radia. We came back, but you were  _gone_!"

"Gone, yes. And look where I stand now, Atreus. I lost my legs and a friend that day. What did you lose? I see no scars upon your hands. All I see are the hollowed eyes that have no life. No light. No love. You are tainted,  _boy_. No one would ever want a broken thing like you. So I offer you one thing. I offer you what you would not do for me. I offer you the ability to have someone be there for you when you die,"

Pantheon could not move fast enough to block her. Camille shot forwards as if the wind itself. She struck him with the flat of her leg, knocking him aside, tumbling through the hot dirt and sand and tearing open his tanned skin.

"Perfect little Atreus, the blacksmith's son," Camille sneered, "You were born as nothing and you will die as nothing,"

She slashed at him, but Pantheon was ready this time, blocking the swipe with his shield, and pushing forwards, sending her stumbling backwards. In rage, he hurled his spear at Camille. But somehow, she was ready; she moved just as fast as he and with far more grace. She leaned back into a bridge, bracing her weight upon the stones, then throwing her lower body upwards into a lithe, flawlessly-executed kick; the thrown weapon clanged harmlessly against her bladed legs. She launched it up into the air, where it thudded into the ground far behind her. Camille landed neatly, having transitioned the block into a perfect kickover from which she rose with her arms crossed.

"Is that the best you can do?" she scoffed, "I was expecting…more,"

Pantheon grabbed a fallen comrade's spear, stalking through the flames with a fire in his own eyes, turning them from a shining gold to a furious, fiery scarlet.

"We were friends once, Camille," he told her, "However, fate seems to have decreed we are to be enemies. You die this night,  _witch_."

He leaped forwards, leading with his shield and slamming the iron edge into her midsection, propelling her backwards a few feet, her bladed legs sending up a trail of sparks as they screeched across the stone. This time…this time it was personal.

* * *

Leona tended to the wounded men, women and children. They were not warriors, though the men still shielded the women and children as if to sacrifice themselves should the witches arrive in this place.

"This is unfair," Tyriel huffed, tapping his sword against the stones, "I should be out with Sir Theron and the others fighting the witches!"

"You are merely thirteen years," Leona deadpanned, finishing wrapping bandages on a young girl's leg, "You would not last ten seconds against a witch,"

"And how would you know!"

"Because  _I_  would not when I was your age," she said.

"You are a woman,"

"Aye, and you are a boy. There is not much of a difference," came the ginger's response as she moved to the next child, "You, Tyriel, are far too impulsive. That comes from you being eager to prove yourself. However, that eagerness can get you killed as well, believe me. I have seen a few of my own classmates fall to the Coven because of their impetuous nature. I do not wish for that to be the case for you. Now, come here."

Tyriel did not move, Leona could hear the muttered curse from him and she was not in the mood to deal with his antics. Mainly because the humming was back and even louder than ever, making her very bones shake.

"I said,  _come here_ ," Leona ordered, glaring at the boy with a fiery golden glare.

The boy huffed, but did as she asked.

"You have to learn self-care at some point," Leona told him, "We all had to. So that you may help yourself after a battle or one of your comrades. Now, see this? First we have to clean the wound. It is naught but a small cut, but even that if left untreated could cause an infection. After we clean the wound, we put some salve upon it and bind it with bandages. Simple,"

Tyriel rolled his eyes and Leona prayed to whatever good deity was out there that they would give her the strength to not shake the boy. She opened her mouth to speak, but a scream cut her off. Tyriel held his sword in front of him and Leona stood upright, unsheathing her own blade.

"Get behind the alter into the alcoves," she ordered the Caretakers, Scholars and Foundlings, "It may be nothing, but I would rather you be safe than harmed,"

The civilians did as asked and Leona stood next to Tyriel as the doors were blown open. Both squires watched, their blood running cold as dark blood pooled through the now open portal and two figures strode through.

"Well, this certainly was hard enough to find," one of the witches huffed, dusting her hands off on her clothes and leaving smears of blood, "Those little gnats were annoying but nothing I could not handle,"

"Gaia, we have two more," the second witch pointed out, looking right at Leona and Tyriel.

"Well we shall kill them too," Gaia smiled, bearing a host of shark's teeth in a Cheshire grin, "Oh, Titania…look…"

"I see," Titania nodded, "That one we may be able to bring back as well. Pity none of the others were satisfactory."

"What did you do to the squires outside," Leona demanded, trying not to scream in pain as the iron armor and sword began to heat up.

"Either dead or dying one of the two," Gaia tittered, "They were worthless anyways,"

"THOSE WERE MY FRIENDS!" Tyriel roared, charging forwards.

"Tyriel!" Leona cried, reaching to grab him, but he slipped just through her fingers.

He charged Titania, who was closer, only for the witch to hold up her hand with an almost bored expression. Tyriel stopped as if he had hit a wall, rising into the air and dropping his sword as he clutched at his neck, gagging and gasping for air.

"Can I? Titania,  _please_  can I?" Gaia begged, "It has been so long since I had a plaything…I  _need_ …"

Titania's hand twitched and with a crunch, Tyriel stopped thrashing, falling limp before collapsing to the ground, his dark eyes fading and staring at something none present could see.

"We do not have time for this," Titania sighed, "You. The red-haired one. We will give you one warning. Come with us or you will meet the same fate as the boy,"

"I do not make deals with witches," Leona growled, holding her sword high, "You will have to kill me,"

"Oh, please Titania, let me kill her then!" Gaia whined, "You killed the boy…"

"Fine," Titania muttered, gesturing forwards, "Have at it,"

Gaia squealed happily, her curly brown hair bouncing as she came towards Leona. She came up within striking range of Leona and the red-haired squire swung with her blade, slicing a thin but deep wound on the witch's chest.

"AH! That hurt!" Gaia yelled, leaping back as her vivid green eyes narrowed, "You knights and your nasty iron weapons! I am just going to have to take that away from you, aren't I?"

She waved her hand and Leona howled as her blade was torn from her hands, she was pretty sure the force of it broke a few fingers, but she did not have time to recover as suddenly she was flying backwards. She hit the steps at the edge of the alter so hard her breath rushed out of her lungs and she lay there, gasping for breath.

"Oh, look Titania! She is so pretty when she is winded like that!" Gaia smiled, bearing those awful fangs again, "Let us see that again!"

She seemed to pulse and Leona groaned in pain as her armor flared almost red-hot, sparks spitting from her fingertips. Gaia blasted her backwards again, farther up the steps and Leona smacked into the altar itself, causing the sword and shield upon it to shake slightly. The humming intensified, shaking Leona to her core so hard she could barely see straight. She could see the sun starting to rise as crimson dawnlight started to paint the chapel. Gaia came closer to her and Leona begged forgiveness of the priest mentally as she reached upwards. Her armor clicked on the marble altar as she scrabbled for a hold on the hilt of the sword. Gaia grabbed her cheek…and Leona lay her hand on the hilt of the blade.

Pain surged from every fiber of her being and Leona screamed, light surging throughout her vision. Strength rushed back into her limbs and the humming burst into a joyous song that rocked the entire cathedral and shattered the stained glass windows behind her.

* * *

Pantheon had just shoved Camille back off of him when the windows of the cathedral shattered into a thousand pieces and a joyous song poured forth. Both squire and witch looked at the sight as golden light surged from the windows, almost as if a second sun burned within it.

Camille hissed and retreated, but not before giving Pantheon one last kick to the chest, knocking him to the ground. Pantheon got up and looked for his old friend, but she was gone, leaving nothing but smoke and ash behind.

"Pantheon!" Theron's voice yelled over the song that poured over the battlefield, "Get up, son! We need to get to the chapel!"

"Sir Theron…what is going on?" Pantheon demanded as the older knight helped him to his feet, "Why did the witches retreat?"

"Because we got something they could not face," Theron said slowly, looking up at the still brilliantly glowing chapel windows, "Come. We need to go and help them in the chapel."

The two made their limping way into the Manor, rushing past bodies of witch, squire and knight alike. Blood stained the hallways scarlet and caused their footsteps to squelch and squeak throughout the manor. The two finally made their way to the chapel, seeing the broken bodies of the squires outside the doors, and went inside. What greeted them was a scene of shock. One squire lay broken on the ground, his neck snapped like a twig. Two badly charred bodies, almost unidentifiable, knelt in a posture of an attempt to shield themselves from the light. They crumbled in the wind that now blew through the broken windows, leaving black smears of soot on the floor. But it was none of the three bodies that made Theron and Pantheon pause.

Upon the stairs before the alter was a massive scorch mark, almost as if lightning had struck, leaving a star or sun-like mark upon it. Encircling the sun mark were runes that neither Pantheon or Theron could read. Within it, lay a young woman, unconscious with her back to them. She was clad in the same black iron armor like the knights were. Her long, ash-blonde hair pooled about her, like a golden fan as the sunlight filtered through. She held the sword originally upon the altar in her right hand, it's keen golden edge faintly glowing in the light.

Theron and Pantheon made their way to her, coming around to see who this woman was. She  _was_  one of theirs, that was for sure. The black armor marked her that way. But there was one different detail on her armor. Where most knights had but a simple orange circle upon their breastplate, the woman had the ornament of a sun emblazoned upon her chest. Pantheon reached down with his free hand to brush her hair away from her face…and he dropped his spear.

"Leona…?"


End file.
